Sundial 16 Inverleith Park

“I number none but sunny hours”   so it says on one of the faces on this sundial, but today the cool damp haar (sea mist) obliterated the sun and also the beautiful Edinburgh skyline from Inverleith Park.  
As part of the City’s efforts to provide the citizens some respite from their gloomy slums, they bought the Rocheid estate in 1889 and laid out a park, including playing fields and tree lined paths.  The former home of the Rocheid family, Inverleith House, is now a modern art gallery in the adjacent Botanic Gardens with a modern sundial on the wall but the above sundial dates from 1890 and was presented to the park by Councillor Kinloch Anderson,  The four sided octagonal sundial must have looked impressive at the time but now looks very forlorn with all the gnomons missing.  It appears to have a red flower painted on this face and the words
“So passes life, alas how sweet”.  The lives of Kinloch Anderson and his contemporaries have all passed away but thousands can still enjoy the leisure facilities in the park and in a few days time will have the opportunity to watch the annual Edinburgh Festival Fireworks concert on screen there.