Famous Princes Street clock being restored as part of Johnnie Walker Experience project

The famous Binns Clock on Edinburgh's Princes Street is currently being restored as part of the massive Johnnie Walker Experience project.

The landmark, which was installed in 1960, became an iconic meeting point on the corner of Princes Street and Hope Street – particularly for romantic couples going out on dates.

However it has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent times, having been dormant for years.

This has prompted a move to bring the clock back to life as part of the project to bring the Johnnie Walker Visitor Experience to the old Frasers building.

Expert clockmakers from the Cumbria Clock Company have been commissioned to dismantle the piece so it can be taken to a workshop and fully restored.

And this restoration will even see the return of the hand-painted figures who march out of the clock on each hour and half hour.

The famous "Binns Clock" above the old Frasers on Princes Street (Kim Traynor/ Creative Commons)

Diageo are behind the hugely exciting Johnnie Walker plans, and Ewan Andrew, their president of global supply and procurement, said: "It [the clock] is such an important part of the cityscape and is so fondly regarded by Edinburgh locals that it will be great to reinstate it as it used to be.

"With the restoration we want the Johnnie Walker Princes Street clock to once more become an iconic meeting place for the people of Edinburgh."

Mark Crangel, the clockmaker who is overseeing the restoration, said: “We repair, maintain and conserve public clocks all over the world, from the largest clocks in the UK to local church clocks - but every clock has its own story.

“It’s great to be working on this clock because it is such a well-known landmark in Edinburgh. It’s not worked for a while now and with a lot of moving parts, so it will be a demanding job but it will be incredibly satisfying to see the clock working again as it did when it was first installed 60 years ago.”

Diageo say they are investing more than £185 million in Scotch whisky experiences across the country.

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