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Balcarres
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Colinsburgh,
Fife - NO 474044 - Earle 4 A complex polyhedral dial that I am desperate to see. Somerville reports it as resembling an obelisk but without the tapering finial. It has a 4 panel shaft, (an interesting sounding) collar of hemicylinders, a 24 sided boss, another polyhedron and finally a ball. What a sight it sounds. Because the shaft is of a greyish stone and the boss and upper part of a more yellowish stone Somerville wondered whether it might be a conglomeration of different dials. It was erected at Balcarres House in 1896 by Sir Robert Lorimer (see Kellie Castle) on a new base that had the inscription 'I wish the sun should shine on all men's fruits and flowers as well as mine. 1897C'. The dial originally came from Leuchars Castle in Fife and so may be linked to the dial now at Balmullo. Visited 2 June 1988 - The Earl of Crawford & Mr P Mikkelson for A. R. Somerville |
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| The dial arrived at Balcarres House later than the three phases of construction of the main house - (Burns as architect) 1834, (Bryce as architect) 1863, and the garden terraces (again by Bryce) in 1867. However, it was moved to Balcarres from Leuchars Castle by Sir Robert Lorimer who worked on various projects at Balcarres from 1896-c1920. Somerville mentioned a close copy of the dial being reported by Country Life (USA) (March, 1937) at Mill Road Farm, Lake Forest, Illinois, USA. I wonder if it is still there - and how did Somerville find out about it.
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