PEOPLE in Garelochhead look set to lose their local post office as staff at the vital facility get ready to retire after decades of service.

The village post office service is scheduled to close on March 31, 2024, along with the accompanying shop. 

The shop is run by Anne Wood and the post office by Evanda Street - with Evanda being the "temporary" postmaster for the last 10 years.

Anne's mum ran the shop before her, with the family's tenure stretching all the way back to 1986.

For the last 10 years it has been in partnership with postmaster Evanda Street, who has been "temporary" for a decade.

But Evanda is 74 and Anne is 61, and both plan to retire.

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Anne says she knows the closure will be a huge loss to the community, explaining that bank services are much of what keeps them busy.

She said she wanted to pass the shop on to her niece and keep it in the family, but the Post Office insisted on a new contract, with lower pay, that made it impossible.

Anne told the Advertiser: "We cannot hand it on to anybody. It was subsidised by me, and my mother before me.

"My mother was postmaster before, and I was for 14 years. Then Evanda took it on a temporary basis and now she's ready to go.

"The two things co-exist - if you don't have a post office, you would not have a shop.

"I open at 5.30am to allow people to go to their work. I know it will be a loss.

"I do think it's sad, but unless the Post Office up their offer, it can't go on.

"The shop runs at a loss - it's just really to provide a service. We are like a bank in Garelochhead, and the bank is closing in Kilcreggan.

"It's the Post Office's fault that we are closing, because they changed the way of doing business.

"I suppose they can't afford to pay all the wee Post Offices, but we turn the wheel because it's busy. It's the bank - it's most of what we do.

"I will feel terribly guilty. We go above and beyond in the shop, and I know we do. That's more what people will miss than the rolls or the sweeties."

Less than a year ago people in the Churchill area of Helensburgh lost their post office when the McColl's store in Churchill Square shut its doors for the last time.

When the Garelochhead facility shuts, the nearest post offices for people living in the village will be on West Princes Street in Helensburgh or at the Co-op in Rosneath.

A Post Office spokesperson refused to confirm the lower pay offer.

They said: “Garelochhead Post Office is currently operated by a temporary postmaster who has informed us that they would like to stop next March.

"We are grateful to them for ensuring the local community have had access to our services. We are currently considering how to maintain Post Office services in the area beyond next March and will keep the local community informed.

"Post Office can’t comment on commercial and/or contractual matters."

Helensburgh and Lomond's MSP, Jackie Baillie, said: “Post Offices provide vital services, especially within rural communities such as Garelochhead.

“It is disappointing to find out that Post Office services within the area are under threat and I sincerely hope that a new operator can be found to continue providing this facility.

It is essential, especially for older residents who may not be well versed in technology, that branches such as this one are retained in communities.

“I will encourage the Post Office to make every effort to secure the future of their services in Garelochhead.”