Sundial, Glamis Castle

The sundial at Glamis Castle, dating from the later 17th century (between 1671 and 1680), is a monumental Baroque structure standing 21 feet high and featuring four stages. The first stage has a two-tier octagonal base that transitions to a reduced plinth adorned with ropework moulding. The second stage showcases four rampant lions, each holding a dial in their fore-paws, with the dials shaped elliptically on the south side, round on the north, rectangular on the west, and square on the east. These lions are flanked by barley twist columns. Above this, a corniced canopy is supported by the top of the second stage and narrows to the neck of the third stage, which features a multi-faceted globe. The fourth stage is topped with a carved scroll and an Earl's coronet.