Will anyone put their stamp on world's oldest post office?

Time is running out to find a buyer for the world’s oldest post office.

Sanquhar Post Office in Dumfries and Galloway opened in 1712, eight years before the second oldest in Stockholm, Sweden.

The current owners, Dr Manzoor Alam and his wife, Nazra, have run the business since 2015 but are retiring at the end of May 2020.

If a buyer is not found before then, a vital village service may be lost forever.

The post office comes with a three-bedroom cottage and is on the market for £275,000.

It has not found a buyer since it was put up for sale last autumn, when an appeal was made to secure its future.

Amanda Jones, group retail and franchise network director at the Post Office, said there was still time for a new buyer to become part of “postal history”.

She said: “I want to thank Manzoor and Nazra for running this truly unique branch for the past five years.

“The opportunity to be a part of postal history doesn’t come along very often and any new owner would be only the 17th person to run Sanquhar Post Office in over 300 years.

“This branch provides a vital service for the local community ensuring that residents and businesses are able to access cash and do a range of everyday banking all at the counter.

“While the branch is for sale, customers should be assured that it is business as usual in Sanquhar.”

The post office is recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest one in operation.

The second oldest, located in Stockholm, opened in 1720 while the third, in Santiago, Chile, opened in 1772.

Postal enthusiasts from across the world come to visit the office in Sanquhar, with many keen to have their letters marked with a special handstamp bearing the words “The World’s Oldest Post Office”.

Mrs Alam said: “It’s heart-breaking that we are selling this post office which has many special memories for my husband and I.

“We have loved our time in Sanquhar and have made many friends in this vibrant community.

“We’ve served many of our local customers every day for the past five years as well as meeting people from all over the world who have come to take pictures outside and with us at this historic branch.”