KELLIE CASTLE SUNDIAL RESTORATION

Kellie Castle, completed around 1606, was the Fife seat of the Earls of Kellie. The castle was saved from ruin over 130 years ago by the Lorimer family, whose restoration of the Castle and its gardens is well known in the preservation movement. Robert Lorimer, the renowned Scottish architect, was at the forefront of much of the restoration in the early 20th century.

The sundial, which is located in the beautiful garden at Kellie Castle, dates from circa 1900 and is a modern armillary globe. Made from cast iron and set on a base and pedestal made of sandstone, it is a central feature of the Walled Garden.

The sundial was presented to the artist John Lorimer by the Edinburgh Astronomical Society early in the twentieth century. The picture shown here on the left, September, was painted by Lorimer in 1916 and shows the Sundial against the backdrop of the Castle.  The sundial has suffered in the intervening years, and unless it receives attention its deterioration will continue to accelerate.

A conservation report has been carried out on the Sundial and pinpoints several aspects which require urgent attention, including: a hairline crack in the sandstone pedestal, large and unsightly cement repairs to the base, areas of paint loss, evidence of severe corrosion of the armillary sphere, and areas of loss at the base due to severe corrosion.

Project cost and Funding Requirement: $6,000.

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Learn more about the property:
www.nts.org.uk/Property/38

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