Floral Clock Celebrates RIAS Centenary

Submitted by edg on Sat, 16 Jul '16 10.28am

Edinburgh’s floral clock is up and running, just in time for festival season, including this weekend's festivities at the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival.

The ancient, green timepiece this year marks the centenary of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

Located in Princes Street Gardens at the foot of The Mound, it took parks staff a month to lay out over 35,000 individual flowers and plants that make up the working clock and its bed.

Both the Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, watched gardeners make the finishing touches yesterday.

"The floral clock is a longstanding and popular addition to the city’s summer attractions and is as popular today as it was when it was first created in 1903," declared the Lord Provost.

Based in Edinburgh, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), was founded in 1916 and is the professional body for all chartered architects in Scotland.

The organisation is also celebrating its centenary with a Festival of Architecture 2016 – a Scotland-wide, year-long celebration involving more than 150 partner organisations.

Neil Baxter, Secretary of RIAS, said: “For many Scots, Edinburgh’s floral clock is a very special childhood memory. Visits to the capital were always sure to have the clock on the itinerary. This clock represents the very best of Scottish horticulture, just as the RIAS promotes excellence in our architecture. It is a tremendous honour that this year’s clock marks the RIAS’ centenary.”

Read more about the history and what to look for when viewing Edinburgh's floral clock.