Balmoral Clock
Balmoral Clock features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Edinburgh. Give it roughly ~15 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~15 min
- Edinburgh Edinburgh guide
About Balmoral Clock
The iconic clock tower of the Balmoral Hotel, kept deliberately three minutes fast for over a century to help passengers catch their trains at Waverley Station below.
The Balmoral Hotel's clock tower is one of Edinburgh's most recognisable landmarks, rising 58 metres above the east end of Princes Street directly above Waverley Station. Opened in 1902 as the North British Hotel by the North British Railway Company, the building was designed to be a grand gateway to Scotland's capital for arriving rail passengers. For over a century, the clock has been set three minutes fast by tradition, a deliberate convention maintained to give travellers just enough extra time to see the clock, panic, and sprint down to Waverley in time to catch their train. There is one annual exception: on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), the clock is set to the correct time so the crowds gathered on Princes Street can count down to midnight with accuracy.
Did you know? The Balmoral clock has been set three minutes fast since the hotel opened in 1902, so that travellers glancing up from Princes Street would have a buffer to sprint down to Waverley Station.
How long is a visit to Balmoral Clock?
Set aside roughly ~15 min for Balmoral Clock. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Balmoral Clock worth your time?
Balmoral Clock is among the 26 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Edinburgh, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Edinburgh
Hear the story of Balmoral Clock
Preview the Edinburgh tour free in the Gingerguide app.