Description

This 17th century sandstone obelisk sundial stands in the garden of The Cottage (see separate listing) on land that was once common village ground, at the head of Loch Goil. The sundial is believed to have been moved several times (RCAHMS, Inventory), and its original location is now unknown; it has however occupied its current position since circa 1870. The sundial is a good example of a distinctive style of 17th century sundial design.

DESCRIPTION

The sundial stands on a square three-stepped plinth, and is surrounded by circular metal railings. The square shaft is divided on each face into 5 square panels, each of which contains a sunken geometrical shape; designs include hearts, hemispheres, saltires and other geometrical devices, and the stubs of broken metal gnomons remain on some of the panels. On the north side of the shaft, the top panel bears the initials D / HM, the middle panel bears the initials S / C (C), and the lowest panel bears the date 1626. The date appears to have been recut in the 19th century, and probably originally read 1696, as the sundial bears a strong similarity to one dated 1695 at Asknish House (see separate listing) (RCAHMS, Inventory). Surmounting the shaft is a multi-facetted head with sunken hemispheres and triangles on the oblique faces, and the obelisk above; both the head and the obelisk have several broken gnomons, some of which are surrounded by finely incised dials (now almost entirely illegible).

Statement of Interest

The initials on the sundial are those of Sir Colin Campbell of Ardkinglas (d.1709) and his wife Dame Helen Maxwell; Campbell was the major landowner in Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich parish at that time.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17772076

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

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)