Stories

Sun, 21 Jun 2026

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 'I couldn't sleep when I heard the last bank would close'

When 84-year-old Maggie Dodd discovered that the last remaining bank in Lochgilphead was closing, she began to panic.

* The nearest bank to Lochgilphead is now in Oban, a 37.2-mile drive away, and Maggie is worried about banking online due to concerns about scams.
* She has "budded up" with her friend Ina Callander, an 83-year-old woman who helps her with banking at the local post office.
* Residents of Lochgilphead are concerned about the impact of the bank closure on elderly and vulnerable people as well as local businesses.
* Business owner Adriano Pia says that banks are needed because bank cards and cash machines aren't always reliable.
* Scott McBride, manager of the Community Shop in Lochgilphead, is worried about the impact on their insurance if they can't deposit takings at a bank every day.
* Figures show 742 bank branches have closed across Scotland since 2015, with Argyll and Bute being one of the areas most affected.
* The area's council bid for a Banking Hub was rejected due to the presence of free-to-use ATMs and post offices in the area.
* Sub-postmaster Anna Dudziak says she can't offer as many transactions as a bank and is frustrated with people blaming her when they are unable to access their money.
* Provost Dougie Philand hopes Link will reconsider its decision on cash machines and has promised to provide evidence of the need for a banking hub in Lochgilphead.