Balmoral clock stops for the first time in its 108-year history

But the iconic Balmoral clock decided for the first moment in its history to call its own time on Wednesday evening – stopping abruptly just after 5:35pm.

Managers at the historic Princes Street hotel insist the timepiece has never stopped in its 108 years and are at a loss to explain what caused the fault.

Harry Fernandes, resident manager, said: "This is the first time ever that the clock has decided not to move.

"All we can do is advise the residents of Edinburgh to wear watches until we get it fixed."

Staff were alerted to the problem by guests and decided to turn off the lights that traditionally illuminate the four faces of the clock tower on a 24-hour basis.

Commuters, workers and passers-by were caught having a double take as they rushed by the hotel yesterday morning, consulting watches and mobile phones in a bid to find out the time.

Clockmaker James Ritchie & Son, which has looked after the clock for many years, was due to send an expert to fix it last night.

Alan Wilson, company director, said he feared the problem could be with the clock's motor. He said: "We don't know exactly what's wrong, but hope it's not anything major.

"If it is the motor, then the clock could be out of action over the weekend."

The clock was constructed in 1902 when the hotel opened as the North British, but its workings were electrified in the 1970s and now include a heavy-duty synchronised motor, which may now need to be replaced.

James Ritchie & Son celebrated its 200th anniversary last year and is responsible for most of the city's most prominent timepieces, including the floral clock in Princes Street Gardens, which it first installed in 1903.

Staff wind the Calton Hill Time Ball up six days a week and at 1pm the ball is dropped as the gun at Edinburgh Castle is fired.

Mr Wilson said: "It's very exciting to be able to look after the Balmoral clock, too, but not when it goes down like this."

Previous problems with the Balmoral clock include an occasion in 2007 when it ran a few minutes slow for a number of days.

The clock has traditionally been set two or three minutes fast to assist people making their way to Waverley Station to make it to their train on time. But on special occasions, including Hogmanay, engineers make sure it is set to exactly the right time.

Mr Fernandes said: "The clock is regularly maintained, but on Wednesday night it just decided to stop. We're doing everything we can to get it fixed."

REGULAR AS CLOCKWORK

FOR 108 years, the Balmoral clock has served the residents of Edinburgh as a reliable and easily viewed timepiece.

It first began ticking in 1902 when the hotel opened as the North British, built for the adjacent North British Railway.

Passengers arriving in the Capital by train would use the hotel for lodgings and staff ensured they were not late for any further journeys by setting the clock a few minutes fast.

In the 1980s, the building was renamed and refurbished and is now the luxury five-star Balmoral Hotel, owned by Rocco Forte.

Many famous figures have stayed at the Balmoral, including Edinburgh author JK Rowling, who famously left a note in a room in January 2007 to say she finished the final book in her Harry Potter series in the building.