Electric Brae

The Electric Brae is a gravity hill in Ayrshire, Scotland where cars appear to be drawn uphill by some mysterious attraction. The Lowland Scots word "brae" means a hill-slope or brow (with which it is cognate), and the "electric" name was given when electricity was a new technology associated with strange forces.

There is more than one stretch of road known as "Electric Brae", but the most famous is on the A719, south of Dunure, not far from Ayr, and heading east towards Maybole. Though the road appears to be running uphill, a suitably free-running vehicle will slowly move off from a standstill. Metal road signs which used to mark the place have tended to be taken by visitors, and have been replaced by a stone cairn which is inscribed with an explanation (conversions to metric not in the original):

:"The ELECTRIC BRAE", known locally as CROY BRAE.":"This runs the quarter mile [400 m] from the bend overlooking Croy railway viaduct in the west (286 feet [87 m] Above Ordnance Datum) to the wooded Craigencroy Glen (303 feet [92 m] above A.O.D.) to the east.":"Whilst there is this slope of 1 in 86 upwards from the bend at the Glen, the configuration of the land on either side of the road provides an optical illusion making it look as if the slope is going the other way.":"Therefore, a stationary car on the road with the brakes off will appear to move slowly uphill.":"The term 'Electric Brae' dates from a time when it was incorrectly thought to be a phenomenon caused by electric or magnetic attraction within the Brae."

During the Second World War, the brae was visited by many American personnel from the air-base at Prestwick, and General Dwight D Eisenhower who had a flat nearby at Culzean Castle brought visitors to see the phenomenon. In 1992, the name was brought wider fame by the novel "Electric Brae" by Andrew Greig. The name has also been applied to other slopes in Scotland: for example, on the Struie Road in Easter Ross, about ten miles (15 km) from ArdgayFact|date=February 2007.

References

* [http://www.mcintyre.demon.co.uk/local/electbrae.htm Electric Brae webpage by Bob McIntyre]
* [http://www.eureka4you.com/magnetichillworldwide/Ayrshire-UK.htm Electric Brae, Ayrshire, Scotland, UK]
* [http://www.eureka4you.com/magnetichillworldwide/ International Directory of Magnetic Hills, Gravity Hills, Mystery Hills and Magnetic Mountains]
* [http://www.newscientist.com/backpage.ns?id=lw118 "New Scientist": "Sloping off"]
* [http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/roll-uphill.html Rolling uphill illusion]