A church clock in Thurso has stopped – with lightning or a power surge thought to be to blame.
The clock at St Peters and St Andrews Church is heavily relied on to keep locals right on the time of day – and some have already admitted they are struggling without it.
Some say it was a lightning strike while others think it may have been a surge in power during torrential rain.
The church has now vowed to get it back up and running as soon as possible.
Reverend David Malcolm said: “The clock is stuck at five to seven.
“Before that everything about the clock was functioning normally.
“We are not sure how it came to stop. Some people are suggesting a lightning strike, but I am not sure. I certainly wasn’t aware of thunder and lightening. There was a tremendous rain storm and all the roads were flooded – but I wasn’t aware of thunder.
“But it may have been a lightening strike – I just can say with any certainty.”
Rev Malcolm said there was no damage elsewhere and suggested the reason for the clock stopping may remain a mystery.
“We very recently changed from a manual clock function to electric,” he added. “I am wondering if that has something to do with it.
“The clock could have stopped because of a power failure.”
Shirley Bannerman, from Caithness, admitted she was lost without the clock.
She said: “St Peter’s and St Andrew’s Church is right in the town centre, and when I am racing through town in the morning to start my shift I can tell by that clock if I am going to be late or not.
“I am sure if it is going to cost a lot of money to fix people would be willing to chip in – no one wears a watch now.
“I am sure folks got a bit of a shock today thinking they were either too early or too late for work.”
