The Cumbernauld Sundial

This interesting monument once stood in the rose garden of Cumbernauld House when it was in private hands. When the development corporation took over, the rose garden became a car park and the dial started to suffer accordingly. It was taken down, therefore, restored and rebuilt in the patio garden immediately east of the house where it now stands.

The dial is of Obelisk type, as made by the Milne family of Perth, in the 17th and early 18th centuries. There are very few examples left now which makes this specimen something to be cherished. It consists of a square pillar, standing on a stepped base, having a polyhedron head surmounted by a four sided tapering obelisk topped by a ball finial, in all about two metres high.

The sides of the pillar, the head and the obelisk are divided into panels, most of which contain dials. The Gnomons have unfortunately been broken off. Some of the panels of the pillar have heart, diagonal and other shaped recesses, designed to cast and reveal shadows. One panel has the arms and cornet of the 6th Earl of Wigton and his first wife.

The dial was most likely given as a wedding present when the Wigtons were at Biggar, and was moved to Cumbernauld when the new house was ready for occupation.