A popular fixture has returned to Milngavie town centre following extensive repairs and restoration work.
The much-loved Copland & Lye clock has been reinstalled in its familiar spot – where it is hoped it will keep time for many years to come.
Specialist restoration works have been undertaken to address corrosion and general wear associated with wet weather and age. Improvements have also been carried out to sensitively restore the sandstone plinth and to ensure the clock is lit up at night.
The three-faced timekeeper was carefully removed and safely transported to a specialist workshop which restores iconic UK clocks.
It was first installed in the precinct in 1981, to commemorate the completion of the pedestrianisation scheme.
The clock was originally housed within an elevated fourth-floor turret of Caledonian House – part of the legendary Copland & Lye department store in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.
When the building closed its doors in 1971 and was scheduled for demolition, local hero Raymond Gillies rescued four clocks – including one which he donated to his home town.
I am very pleased to welcome the iconic clock back to Milngavie town centre, where it has kept time and acted as a meeting spot for more than four decades.
"After a regular maintenance visit uncovered water damage and corrosion, we were able to allocate external funding to ensure it was repaired and can remain a fixture in the precinct for many years to come."
The Gillies family was represented at a reception to welcome the clock's return by local resident and close family friend Scott Robertson. A plaque detailing Mr Gillies' philanthropy has also been restored.
Mr Gillies' daughter, Yvette, now lives in Australia, but has fond memories of her old home in Loch Road and Milngavie.
Yvette Gillies said, "I know that my father would be happy and proud that the clock has been restored and returned to its rightful place. It is very close to my heart, as it was to his. My father chose to gift the clock to Milngavie as he wanted to support the local community and businesses by creating a meeting place and focal point within the town that he loved being part of.
“The spirit of my father’s original intentions lives on – putting Milngavie on the map with its instantly recognisable and iconic clock in the heart of the town. That is very special to me and much appreciated."
The restoration of the clock was fully funded via the external UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. Milngavie Business Improvement District has also welcomed the return of the iconic fixture.
History of the iconic clock in Milngavie Precinct
Copland & Lye's drapery warehouse in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, was one of several which supplied Paris fashions. The business was founded in Cowcaddens in 1873 by William Copland and John Lye, expanding to take in Caledonian House department store at a later date.
The clock was originally housed within an elevated fourth-floor turret of the magnificent, French-inspired Caledonian House in Sauchiehall Street.
Opened by Copland & Lye in 1900, the store was described as: “One of the most extensive, architecturally elegant and the most perfectly equipped drapery emporiums in the kingdom.”
The store closed its doors in 1971 for the last time. The clock was rescued before demolition and donated to Milngavie Town Council by Mr Gillies.
The three-faced timekeeper was installed in 1981 to commemorate the pedestrianisation of Milngavie Precinct – creating an iconic centrepiece for the town centre – by Bearsden and Milngavie District Council.
The Copland & Lye emblem is visible on the clock, which is seated upon a sandstone plinth.
