National Museums Scotland has announced the acquisition of an ornate early 18 th- century sundial of
exceptional precision and design. The Ilay Glynne dial, which is now on display at the National
Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, is a masterpiece of both art and science.
The Ilay Glynne dial, made around 1715, was used to measure local time from the Sun, providing the
most accurate means of setting clocks available at the time. It could be used at any latitude, and its
form models the celestial sphere, showing the Sun’s apparent motion around the Earth.
The acquisition of the dial, which has important connections to post-Union Scotland, has been
supported by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund.