Locals protest closure of Fort Willian Post Office amid fears for vulnerable residents

Residents in Fort William staged a protest in the town centre on Saturday as its main Post Office closed its doors.

The demonstration marked the latest action in a month-long campaign to save the site.

The Fort William store, located inside TG Jones on the High Street, shut on Saturday.

The Post Office said it is working to open a replacement branch “as soon as possible” and advised residents to use alternative branches in Corpach (4.3 miles away) and Spean Bridge (9.5 miles away) in the meantime.

A petition, which has amassed over 1,200 signatures online, states that the nearest Post Office offering full services is in Oban, 44 miles away.

An additional 500 signatures opposing the move were also collected during the demonstration.

Campaigners have highlighted concerns about the impact of the closure on older people, disabled residents and people without private transport, who need to access services.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Andrew Baxter, who is also a former postmaster, joined residents in the protest against the closure.

He said: “Having run the post office in Kinlochleven for 17 years, I know post offices are not simply somewhere to send a parcel.

“For many people and local businesses, they provide access to cash, banking and other essential services, as well as that increasingly rare opportunity to speak to someone face-to-face.

“That is particularly important in rural communities like ours. We have already watched banks close branches and more and more services move online or further away from the communities they are supposed to serve.”

The Post Office says it recognises the need to restore service in the town, and is looking for a permanent or temporary solution.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We would like to reassure the people of Fort William that we are working hard to open a replacement branch as soon as possible.

“We are looking for a permanent or temporary solution for the town, as we clearly recognise the important need to restore service in this town due to the distance to alternative branches.

“We know how important our products and services are to the local community to meet the needs of the residents, businesses and tourists.”