Time stands still on clock repair

The clock on St Bride's Church will be back as soon as possible

A project to enable one of Scotland's oldest clocks to show the correct time is under way.

The clock on St Bride's Church, which is said to have been presented by Mary Queen of Scots, is to be carefully repaired after the hands slowed down.

The 400-year-old timepiece in Douglas village, Lanarkshire, is said to be the oldest working clock in the country.

James Ritchie and Son clockmakers in Edinburgh hope to get the clock back ticking in time once again.

For hundreds of years, it has chimed roughly three minutes before the hour.

The project to repair it is being run by Historic Scotland.

The face of the ancient time-piece will also be re-gilded, so that the hands can be seen more clearly.

Robert Duncan, of Historic Scotland, said: "We want to get Scotland's oldest working clock working again as soon as possible."