Description

16th century. Corniced, square-plan, ashlar pedestal with carved faces borne on four balls resting on square-plan over circular pavement.

Table dial face; roman numerals around edge, circle with degrees numbered within, sun motif to centre, broken fragment of gnomon remaining, (2002). Pedestal; NW, coronet above order of the garter insignia with motto 'Honi soit qui mal y pense', SW Douglas Heart motif with cherub above. Further carved decoration including festoon to SE and carved figures to NE.

Statement of Interest

Formerly listed as Aberdour House Sundial. SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT, A-Group with Aberdour Castle, Aberdour Castle West Doorway, Aberdour Castle Walled Garden, Aberdour Dovecot. The sundial can be found to the S of the Castle on one of the raised terraces. It was moved to its present position from nearby Aberdour House (see separate listing) in the early 1990s. It is probable that it had originally been at the castle and when the Morton's left to live at Aberdour House in 1725 they brought it with them. Aberdour House was re-developed in the early 1990s and converted into flats, it is suspected that it was at this time that the sundial was relocated to the castle. The dial is set NE and SW, so that 12 o'clock falls exactly at the NE corner of the stone. It is a good example of a 16th century horizontal sundial, the pedestal format allowing the sundial to be decoratively adorned. At St Colme House (the former Moray factor's house) in the neighbouring Dalgety Bay Parish there is a very similar sundial of the 1830s which must owe much of its inspiration to the castle's sundial. For further information see Aberdour Castle list description.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17575186

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)