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Summer solstice celebrated in sunrise ceremony

MIKE BOLAM Ceremony on Andromeda in the Crawick MultiverseMIKE BOLAM
The sunrise ceremony took place on a conical mound called Andromeda

The summer solstice was celebrated in an early-morning ceremony at a cosmic art land in Dumfries and Galloway.

Crawick Multiverse near Sanquhar hosted dozens of a visitors including the Duke of Buccleuch for the 04:00 sunrise ceremony.

It took place on a conical mound topped with standing stones and named after the Andromeda galaxy.

Scientists, academics and storytellers were among those who joined the celebration.

The summer solstice marks midsummer - the longest day, in terms of daylight hours, and shortest night of the year.

It is the point at which the earth's axis is tilted at its closest point to the sun.

Gillian Khosla, who chairs The Crawick Multiverse Trust, said: "There's a real sense of magic and wonder when the sun rises over Crawick Multiverse on the summer solstice - with its great mounds inspired by the Milky Way and Andromeda and its avenues of standing stones."

MIKE BOLAM Ceremony on Andromeda in the Crawick MultiverseMIKE BOLAM
The mound is topped with standing stones
MIKE BOLAM People who took part in sunrise ceremony at Crawick MultiverseMIKE BOLAM
A patron of the Crawick Multiverse Trust, the Duke of Buccleuch (middle, grey jacket) was among those who took part in the ceremony
MIKE BOLAM Gordon MacLellan, Prof Graham Harvey and Dr Luidmila NikanorovaMIKE BOLAM