When the clocks go back, this landmark will still be wrong
Photo credit: Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images
The clock at the Balmoral Hotel is situated right in the center of Edinburgh.
Reporter for BBC Scotland covering Edinburgh and the eastern region.
While people throughout the UK set their clocks back to GMT on Sunday, a cherished clock in Scotland will stay on the incorrect time.
Since the Balmoral Hotel clock tower was constructed in Edinburgh 122 years ago, its clock has intentionally been set ahead of the actual time.
This unusual custom started after railway officials got involved at Edinburgh Waverley Station, right beneath the clock tower.
Before the advent of mobile phones, when wristwatches were costly, train travelers frequently relied on the station clocks to keep track of the time.
Officials believed that adding three more minutes would allow passengers enough time to grab their tickets, get to their train cars, and unload their bags before the whistle sounded.
It has been adjusted to run three minutes ahead ever since.
Brian Duncan, the head engineer at the Balmoral Hotel, mentioned that this custom will continue.
At 2:00 AM, the clock will be paused for an hour and then restarted, typically three minutes fast.
"People walking by usually don’t pay attention, as we’ve never received any complaints about the time being incorrect during that period," he said to BBC Scotland.
"I believe it's due to the fact that it's taking place during the night."
The clock tower, designed in the Scottish Baronial style, was adjusted by hand for daylight saving time until it was automated in 2014. This change happened only a few months after Brian started taking care of the clock.
The change was initiated after it experienced three interruptions within a span of six weeks.
Brian mentioned that one of the many gears in the original mechanism was malfunctioning.
"I faced a significant choice: should we keep using the malfunctioning clock, or should we opt for a small gearbox that can be managed by a computer?" he explained.
Brian Duncan mentioned that he would consistently set the clock ahead by three minutes.
"We now have a much smaller gearbox compared to the original system, and it's operated by a computer."
Brian will be in his bed asleep when the clocks shift.
The clock tower's four faces have hands that cannot be adjusted, so the clock is paused for one hour in the fall and for eleven hours when daylight saving time begins in the spring.
"It's typically a Saturday night, so by the time people are on Princes Street, they've often had a few drinks, and most don't pay much attention," he explained.
The only time the clock accurately indicates the hour is during the countdown to the midnight bells at Edinburgh's grand Hogmanay festivities on December 31.
The hotel hires experts from Smith of Derby to adjust the clock for New Year's Day. After that, they reset it to be three minutes ahead once more.
The square lights inside the tower shine on the clock face from the back, making it easier for people walking by to read the time at night.
The 62-year-old further elaborated on how the clock maintains accurate time throughout the year, even with the impact of gravity on the minute hand.
"I heard that gravity causes things to accelerate quickly at first for about 30 seconds, but then it slows them down on the way back up, balancing everything out in the end," he explained.
The last time the clock stopped working was for over a month in the summer of 2020, during the Covid lockdown.
Every morning during his tram ride to work, he checks to see if it's still functioning.
The clock tower, created by William Hamilton Beattie, stands 190 feet (58 meters) tall, prominent against the skyline of the capital.
The original mechanism, though no longer in operation, remains inside the clock tower.
Brian expressed his desire to eventually relocate it to a more accessible part of the hotel, allowing guests to view it.
Removing it from the clock tower is a huge task because of its great weight. Constructed from steel, it tips the scales at around a thousand pounds.
Photo credit: Guven Ozdemir/Getty Images
The clock at the Balmoral Hotel features four different faces.
The Balmoral is the UK's second most well-known clock, following Big Ben.
"I really enjoy taking care of the clock and feel a great sense of pride in my role," Brian expressed.
It's a significant accomplishment to hold the position of chief engineer for a clock of this stature.
"It fills me with a little thrill every time I gaze at it; it's truly stunning."
The Balmoral Hotel stands as a notable icon in Edinburgh. It was first established under the name North British Station Hotel.
In June 1991, the establishment was renamed the Balmoral, a title that comes from Gaelic and translates to "majestic dwelling." The renaming ceremony was conducted by the actor Sir Sean Connery.
Since that time, the hotel has welcomed numerous famous personalities, including JK Rowling, who completed the final book in her Harry Potter series while staying in one of its suites.
