Scotland's oldest known working clock is now running again and has been graced with a new face thanks to major conservation work by Historic Scotland.

The restored clock was put back into place today on the front of the belltower of the 14th century parish church of St Bride's in Douglas, Lanarkshire.

The ancient time-piece 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 its mechanism began to fail last year and it began to slow down, Historic Scotland - which cares for St Bride's Church - arranged for specialist repair work to be carried out on the mechanism by long-established Edinburgh clockmakers James Ritchie and Son.

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At the same time, Historic Scotland decided to replace the clock face which had suffered substantial decay and erosion caused by the weather. Skilled craftsmen and women from the Agency's St Ann's 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 the team at Historic Scotland's Stenhouse Conservation Centre.

Robert Duncan, Historic Scotland district works manager, said: "All the work was carried out using traditional, specialist techniques and authentic materials, and the new face is a superb piece of craftsmanship.

"It has been made from a better quality, more durable material than that used the last time the face was replaced in the 1970s, so it should last for many decades to come. And the gilding work means that people will be able to use it more easily as the time can be seen much more clearly."

Historic Scotland cultural resources advisor Adrian Cox said: "The St Bride's clock is a remarkable time-piece which has continued to work for over 400 years - that's a real testament to the craftsmanship of the 16th century.

"And now, thanks to the dedication of 21st century craftsmen and women who have kept those traditional skills alive and carried out this wonderful restoration, it can keep working. I'm sure local people in Douglas, as well as visitors to the wonderful old parish church of St Bride's, will be delighted to see the clock back in place, restored beautifully, and doing its job once again."

(GK/JM)