Sundials

Sundials At Scottish Game Fair

ALASTAIR’S STUNNING SUNDIAL EXHIBITS ON SHOW

MACMILLAN HUNTER ORBDIALVisitors to the Scottish Game Fair today will have an opportunity to see Orbdial, the latest garden creation by Edinburgh man Alastair Hunter, an award winning sundial designer.

Alastair, owner of Macmillan Hunter Sundials, will have his range of precision and aesthetically pleasing instruments on display at Stand D10 on Duck Row. Sundials are enjoying a renaissance as innovative new designs attract a new generation of people appreciating what is almost certainly the oldest scientific instrument known to man. Continue reading

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ALASTAIR LAUNCHES LATEST SUNDIAL CREATION

Royal Highland Show Visitor, EdinburghThe Royal Highland Show

A local designer of upmarket sundials unveiled his latest creation today – the Orbdial – at this year’s Royal Highland Show, located at Ingliston near Edinburgh.

It is the first time that Edinburgh man Alastair Hunter, owner of Macmillan Hunter Sundials has exhibited at this, one of the most prestigious events in the Scottish calendar. Continue reading

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The Duncraggan Stone, an ancient sundial restored

The Duncraggan Stone restored as a sundial with new gnomonA sundial stone inscribed with the date 1666 was found some twenty years ago at a place called Duncraggan on the southern edge of the Scottish Highlands lying in a pile of rubble. From this unlikely beginning developed a tale of mystery and surprise. The stone’s owner wanted to know if it was genuine? The story was taken up by Alastair Hunter who carried out researches and then restored it as a working sundial. Continue reading

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Sundial at Art & Sculpture Exhibition

‘Sun Salute’ the latest sundial sculpture by Alastair Hunter has been accepted into the inaugural appART Art & Sculpture Exhibition at Secretts, Milford, Surrey. This exhibition on open grass lawns surrounded by fruit orchards and with light and airy indoor space is an exciting successor to the long established VivArtis exhibition previously held at King Edward’s School, Witley, nearby. Continue reading

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What is a Noondial?

Noon-mark sundial

Noon-mark dial for setting the time on watches c1760

The noon dial or noon mark is an ancient way for telling the time of midday.  The sun is at its highest and is due south then.

By the eighteenth century, and continuing until the early twentieth century, noon dials and other types of sundial were used for setting clocks and watches.  The method for working out clock time needed the Equation of Time, because clock time is the average of sundial time round the year. Continue reading

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Garden Sundial Sculpture: Solar Time I by Alastair Hunter

The images show a series of public and private gardens, galleries, sculpture exhibitions and fairs where the “Solar Time I” sundial has been on display in 2010-11. These are listed below.

Hatfield House, Living Crafts
Greenbank Garden, National Trust for Scotland
Edinburgh private garden
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Art in the Garden
Cambo House
Dipley Mill contemporary sculpture exhibition
Borde Hill Garden
Wisley Garden, Royal Horticultural Society craft fair
Rosemoor Garden, Royal Horticultural Society sculpture exhibition
Inverewe Garden, National Trust for Scotland
The Garden Gallery
The Lost Gallery
Blenheim Palace, Living Crafts
Denbie’s Wine Estate sculpture exhibition
Harmony Garden, National Trust for Scotland sculpture exhibition
Priorwood Garden, National Trust for Scotland
Logan Garden, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Artparks International online

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Have we time for noon?

A modern noondial

A modern sundial that tells the time of noon

The time of noon, it sounds old-fashioned doesn’t it? Is that the same as 12 noon or 12 o’clock or 12:00, and is 12pm a real time? Of course, in our modern rushing way we know the time, it’s on our phones and screens and digital displays, we just don’t have much time for old names for time. And yet we are interested, we speak about dawn of time, moment in time, making time, having the time to do something. Continue reading

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