Clock ticking to find new wind-up merchant

THE hours are good, with just a few minutes' work needed once a week. There's no pay, but whoever takes on the role knows they will play a vital part in keeping their town ticking over.

An appeal has gone out to find a volunteer with time on their hands to wind up Dingwall town clock once each week.

The job has been done for many years by local stonemason Alex Brett, who regularly climbed the steps of the tower to keep the mechanism going.

But after years of dedicated service to the landmark, one of the Scotland's last hand-wound town clocks, Mr Brett is giving up the role –he wound the clock for the last time this week. He has offered to train his successor.

Local councillor Margaret Paterson said it was vital time does not stand still in Dingwall now it is in the spotlight thanks to Ross County beating Celtic to reach the Scottish Cup final.

She said: "Alex has done this job for many years, which has been tremendous, especially when he works full-time. It is a bit of a commitment because it has to be wound once a week.

"We will try our hardest to get another volunteer – perhaps even two or three people to do it on a rota basis – because it is important. After Ross County's fantastic win the eyes of the media are on Dingwall and if the clock isn't going the place looks neglected."

She said Highland Council may even consider paying the clock winder in future. "Maybe we should look into that because we expect too much of our volunteers who save us a fortune," she said.

Dingwall's first town clock, on the central tower of the town house, was built in 1774. It stood until 1906, when the present clock tower, a near-replica, was built.