Grampian news: Time is on Leith Hall's side
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LEITH Hall’s 250 year-old clock had its first annual winding ceremony on Saturday – its first since returning to its home in Kennethmont.
The “longcase” clock, unique as it only needs to be wound every 365 days, features the hallmark of famous Aberdeen clockmaker Hugh Gordon but is thought to have been built by Andrew Dunlop.
Winding the clock each year clock was always an important occasion for the hall’s staff, before the National Trust for Scotland removed the timepiece for safekeeping.
Its creation dates back to around 1770, according to clock expert Dr Chris Edwards from Inverurie.
In a National Trust Scotland video about the clock, Dr Edwards said: “The clock has got a date on it – 1983 – and that may be the last time this clock was ever overhauled, so it’s really past its time.”
It had been kept in Leith Hall by the Leith-Hay family for over 250 years, until they donated the stately home to the National Trust of Scotland after the Second World War.
The clock had recently been returned to Leith Hall after it was moved for safekeeping in Edinburgh by the National Trust decades earlier.
Leith Hall was closed to the public until 2013 and is now a popular tourist attraction, partially due to its supposed paranormal connections.
The clock was kept in Edinburgh during the period when the hall closed and has only recently returned to the hall.
Dr Edwards attended the clock winding ceremony this year and afterwards gave a talk on the clock’s significance and Scotland’s clock history.
To find out more information about Leith Hall, visit www.nts.org.uk
