ALMOST £100,000 is to be spent restoring a clock tower in Glasgow in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The landmark Gallery of Modern Art has been awarded £98,672 from Historic Scotland for conservation work on the A-listed structure.

Work to restore the tower will be carried out ahead of the games, which get under way on July 23.

The tower is among six buildings from across Scotland that will share almost £1.9 million of funding announced today by Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs.

The building, formerly the Royal Exchange, dates from 1829 and was built around an existing mansion house which had been constructed by tobacco merchant, William Cunningham in 1778.

The Russell Institute, regarded as one of Paisley's finest buildings, will also receive £500,000 to support a repair and redevelopment of the building.

Fiona Hyslop said: "I am pleased to announce this latest round of funding, which will deliver considerable improvements to several of Scotland's important historic buildings.

"I am particularly pleased that this investment will see buildings that currently lie derelict or unused given a now lease of life and play an active role again in the communities in which they are located.

"Scotland's historic environment is so valuable to all parts of the country with its social, cultural and economic benefits impacting on every community."