Scotlands Oldest Clock

So Scotlands oldest known working clock is telling the time once again after the completion of major conservation work. The restored clock, sporting a new face, was put back in its rightful place on the belltower of the 14th century parish church of St Bride's in Douglas, Lanarkshire. This ancient timepiece dates back to 1565 and is said to have been a gift to the village of Douglas from Mary Queen of Scots. To reflect the Clan Douglas motto, Jamais Arriere, "never behind" it is meant to strike three minutes before each hour.

When the mechanism failed last year, the good people at Historic Scotland arranged for specialist repair work to be carried out on the mechanism by long established Edinburgh clockmakers James Ritchie & Son. At the same time, the decision was taken to replace the clock face, which had suffered substantial decay and erosion.

Skilled craftsmen and women from Historic Scotland's St Ann's Maltings Croft An Righ workshop fashioned the replacement clock face from a teak-like hardwood, with the numerals and hands adorned with the finest gold leaf.

The church's weather vane has also been regilded by a second team at Stenhouse Convervation Centre. All the work was carried out using traditional, specialist techniques and authentic materials.