The Nelson Monument in Edinburgh is to have a £250,000 restoration.
The work is part of the Twelve Monument Restoration Project, a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh World Heritage, charitable trusts and business donations.
The project will also see the famous time-ball mechanism returned to working order.
The Nelson Monument was originally built between 1807 and 1816. The time ball was added in 1852 to allow captains of ships moored in the Firth of Forth to set their chronometers for accurate navigation.
City culture leader Deidre Brock said in a statement: "By taking this action now to restore the Neslon Monument, we are preserving an important part of Edinburgh's maritime heritage for future generations.
"This major project will return the monument to its former glory and when complete, residents of Edinburgh and visitors alike will be able to look to the monument at one o' clock once again to see the impressive time-ball mechanism in action."
David McDonald, project manager with Edinburgh World Heritage, said: "Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund and a large number of very generous donors, I am delighted to say that work is about to start on repairing this important Edinburgh landmark.
"The Nelson Monument is one of the most prominent buildings in the city, and the one' o clock time-ball is a great Edinburgh institution. It is fantastic to be able to keep these city traditions going, which all go to make Edinburgh such a unique place to live and visit."
Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, added: "Not only does the Nelson Monument afford one of the best panoramic views of Edinburgh but it also houses one of the city's more unusual customs in its time-ball.
"It's great news that work is about to start on this extraordinary piece of our heritage ensuring that it continues to delight visitors from all over the world for years to come."
The time-ball weighs nearly 762 kilograms and will be removed with a crane and its internal wooden structure and gearing mechanisms repaired.
Once the project is complete the time project will again operate daily at one o'clock.
stv.tv local news is powered by Well Contented Ltd
