MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Jamie Stone officially opens new Balintore post office
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MP Jamie Stone cut the ribbon at the new permanent post office based in the village hall.
The post office at the Seaboard Memorial Hall will be open Mondays to Fridays from 9am-12.30pm each day.
Balintore Post Office is operated by Seaboard Memorial Hall Ltd, a community-run company, sitting alongside the hall’s established café.
A temporary post office was set up at the hall last October to provide a part-time service of four hours each week.
This interim service was provided by the postmaster for Alness after the resignation last summer of CJ Lang, which had previously operated the branch at its store in Balintore's Main Street.
MP Jamie Stone said: “I am delighted that Balintore has a permanent Post Office again.
"These new longer hours make it much easier for my constituents and tourists to visit.
"The existing café at the hall is very popular and there is a lovely, welcoming, community feel.
"Balintore Post Office is a fantastic addition to the hall.”
In charge of Balintore Post Office is Maureen Ross, director of Seaboard Memorial Hall Ltd.
Maureen and hall manager Lynda Durrand were instrumental in securing a temporary, then permanent, post office at the hall.
Ms Ross said: “People are really pleased to have a permanent Post Office again which is open five days a week.
"The temporary Post Office was well supported but having a permanent branch, located in the hall, will benefit the whole community and already the feedback from residents has been extremely positive.
“People regularly use the Post Office to send parcels, collect pensions and to pay bills. They can also do banking here for all the high street banks, so it will save people long journeys as the nearest bank is nearly seven miles away.
“Tourists and the local community were already coming here with friends and family for a drink and food at the café, so it is very convenient for the Post Office to be here as well.”
David Duff, Post Office network provision lead, said: “We are delighted to have a permanent solution for Balintore.
"We thank Seaboard Memorial Hall for providing the premises since the branch inside the CJ Lang store closed.
"We appreciate the postmaster for Alness providing a temporary service until Seaboard Memorial Hall Ltd was able to provide a permanent solution. The Post Office and café work really well together.”
