Press release —
Community celebration marks re-opening of Kilchoan Post Office - the UK's most westerly mainland branch
A community celebration has been held to mark the re-opening of Kilchoan Post Office to restore vital mail and banking services at its new location - Kilchoan Community Centre.
Villagers and tourists enjoyed cake and prosecco ahead of the Kilchoan opening to the public the following morning (4/8).
Two local community figures performed the ribbon cutting ceremony at Kilchoan Community Centre, Pier Road, Kilchoan, PH36 4LJ. The honour of “cutting the ribbon” went to Bridget Cameron, who delivered mail to the surrounding villages for 32 years, and Chrissie MacLachlan, who was postmaster at Achateny Post Office from 1989 until 2001.
The piper for the special occasion was David Doherty, who had been Kilchoan postmaster until last October when he decided that the time was right for him to retire.
Villagers then had a big community meeting to see how they could work together to restore much needed services to Kilchoan, as they had been left without a Post Office, village shop and fuel station.
The community has rallied round to help find ways to restore vital services to this remote village on the Scottish peninsula of Ardnamurchan, beside the Sound of Mull in Lochaber, Highland. Kilchoan is the most westerly village in mainland Britain.
The West Ardnamurchan Community Development Company (WACDC) led a community project to bring essential services back to the village, including a new village shop, fuel pumps and Post Office. The first to open is Kilchoan Post Office.
The new postmaster is Richard Johnson who coordinated the work to establish the branch alongside many local volunteers, including someone with Post Office experience.
Richard, originally from England, moved to the village in 2021. He already has a full-time job as a data analyst with a fashion company, but he wanted to help the community.
Rosie MacLachlan Curtis, vice chair of WACDC said: “On behalf of the development company, we would just like to say a big thank you to Richard, who has stepped up to be the postmaster, and allowed for this service to come back to our community.”
Kilchoan Postmaster, Richard Johnson, said: “There’s a real buzz of excitement that Kilchoan Post Office is opening for essential mail services and banking. It’s been a 45-minute drive there and back for the nearest Post Office, or a 35-minute ferry ride to Tobermory.
“This is a remote, rural, location and it’s a beautiful place to live, but since October it has been an hour’s drive each way for a bank, supermarket or fuel, which is why people have rallied round to find ways to try to restore services, starting with the Post Office and then a shop and fuel station to follow. People are excited that we have reached the first milestone.
“When tourists come to Kilchoan they like to spend cash, so it will make a big difference for local businesses that they can now do their banking at Kilchoan Post Office. Businesses don’t want to keep too much cash around, but they didn’t want to keep making long journeys to pay in money or cheques. Locals and tourists can now also withdraw their cash at the Post Office. People can also send mail, do home shopping returns and collect parcels.”
Kilchoan Post Office’s opening hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: 9 - 11am, providing six hours of service per week. Times may be increased if there is sufficient need.
The new Post Office in the community centre is very close to the new community shop and fuel station being built.
As an interim measure, the café in Kilchoan stocked essential grocery items of bread, milk and eggs. It then moved to the Kilchoan Community Centre as the café needed more space for the busy tourist season. The village’s population of 150 people more than doubles in the summer with tourists.
Sharon Clark, Post Office Retail Capability Specialist, said: “The previous Post Office unfortunately closed in October 2025, leaving the community without local access to Post Office services. We know how important a Post Office community and that’s even more crucial when it is far to the next nearest branch. We have been working hard to help restore service as soon as possible.
“The incoming postmaster has shown genuine enthusiasm from the outset, and this community has rallied to the cause to help bring vital mail and banking services back to the heart of this community.”
Topics
Categories
Regions
About the Post Office
- With over 11,500 branches, Post Office has the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.
- Post Office is helping anyone who wants cash to get it whichever way is most convenient. Partnership with over 30 banks, building societies and credit unions means that 99% of UK bank customers can access their accounts at their Post Office.
- Cash withdrawals, deposits and balance enquiries can be made securely and conveniently over the counter at any Post Office; and the biggest investment by any organisation or company in the last decade is being made to safeguard 1,400 free-to-use ATMs across the UK.
- Post Office is simplifying its proposition for Postmasters with a focus on its cash and banking; mails and parcels; foreign exchange; and; bill payments services.
- Research has found that visits to the Post Office help drive another 400 million visitors to other shops, restaurants and local businesses equating to an estimated £1.1 billion in additional revenue for High Street businesses.
- 99.7% of the population live within three miles of a Post Office; and 4,000 branches are open seven days a week.
