Turning back the clock as station timepiece restored

A CLOCK that once adorned the roof of Princes Street Station in Edinburgh has been restored and resited next to its former home.

The former station clock, which survived a fire in 1892, has been rescued as part of a £24 million refurbishment of the Caledonian Hotel.

The clock was unveiled by the hotel’s longest-serving employee, porter Billy Garioch. He joined the hotel in 1963 as a 15-year-old and retires next March when he turns 65.

The Waldorf Astoria hotel, which has had its public spaces, rooms, spa and restaurant upgraded, is the only part that remains of the old station that once stood at the west end of Princes Street.

Princes Street Station was built in 1870, with the Caledonian Hotel building added in 1903.

Services were gradually reduced following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 and Princes Street Station was eventually closed in 1965, before the bulk of the station was demolished in 1970.

The restored clock had previously been set five minutes fast so passengers were less likely to miss their trains. The tradition will continue in the timepiece’s new location.