Give Sighthill’s Stonehenge a sporting chance say campaigner

The Sighthill Stone Circle – hailed as a mini Stonehenge – was completed in 1979 and is the first of its kind in the UK for 3,000 years.

Sighthill Elspet Gibson and Thurston Cherry came to celebrate

 the winter Solstice at the Stone circle, they broght a candle 

torch 21st December 2012 pic: Roberto Cavieres

But Glasgow City Council want to transform Sighthill into an athletes village if it wins its bid to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.
The £250million regeneration will go ahead regardless of whether the city wins the games bid.
That means the astronomically-aligned stone circle in Sighthill Park is under threat.
A petition has so far attracted 500 signatures – with backing from well-known faces including writer and artist Alasdair Gray andGlasgow musician Stuart Braithwaite, founder of Mogwai.

Duncan Lunan, who created the Sighthill Stone Circle, said: “My wife Linda and I were asked to a meeting with the council and were told to our complete shock that the ‘circle is going and there’s nothing you can say to change it’.

“There’s definitely a lot of people that don’t want it to go. So many people in signing the petition have gone on to say why they go there.

“We’re not saying there shouldn’t be development in the area, but the stone circle is the first of its kind for 3,000 years. The plans could be easily modified.”

The Sighthill circle was designed by Duncan and erected by the Glasgow Parks Department Astronomy Project between 1978-79. It’s dedicated to four prominent experts in the field of ancient astronomy, all with close connections to Glasgow.

Following the change of Government in 1979 the circle was never completed, and it has never become the local and visitor attraction which was intended. Four unused stones lie there to this day.
Duncan added: “As well as signing the petition, we would ask people to write to the council and tell them why they support it.”
Duncan organised a mid-winter solstice at the stone circle last Friday.
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “The 2018 Youth Olympic Games bid is a very exciting opportunity for the city.
“The redevelopment of Sighthill is a key component of our bid. Even if we do not win the bid, Sighthill will be transformed 20 years earlier than it would otherwise have been.

“At this stage of the development of the proposal, it is too early to comment on what will be done with the standing stones at Sighthill Park in terms of their location or incorporation into the masterplan for the area.”

Sighthill History

The circle was built in 1979 and it is dedicated to four outstanding researchers in the field of ancient astronomy: the late Professor Alexander Thom and Dr. Archie Thom, Prof. Archie Roy and Dr. Euan MacKie, all of whom are closely connected to the city of Glasgow. For more details please see the Brief History section

If you want to sign the petition, visit www.sighthillstonecircle.net
News Source: http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk

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