Last rural Stirlingshire bank set to close as Callander given October bombshell

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Rural Stirling’s last remaining bank is set to close.The Callander branch of Bank of Scotland will shut its doors for the final time on October 30.The nearest permanent bank for rural residents is thought to be 10 miles away in Stirling from Callander alone and a whopping 70 miles in the other direction - in Oban.The news has been criticised by both politicians and locals.Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed (SNP) said: “I am deeply disappointed to hear that Bank of Scotland are closing their Callander branch on October 30.“This is the last bank left in Callander and this is also the last bank branch in the entirety of rural Stirling.“The impact of this closure is likely to be significant, far beyond Callander.“I will be contacting Link to conduct an Access to Cash Review of Callander to establish whether a banking hub is a possibility for the town.”Local Conservative councillor, Martin Earl, said: “I am afraid this is just another example of organisations withdrawing face -to-face services and requiring customers to ‘go digital’.“There are still many for whom those options are not possible or desirable and this decision will make life just that bit more difficult than it was.“It is also another loss to our main street, one less reason for people to visit it.”A Bank of Scotland spokesperson said: “As many customers now choose to bank through their mobile app or online, visits to our Callander branch have fallen over recent years.“The local Post Office offers everyday banking, with cash also available at close by free-to-use ATMs.

Customers can also manage their money through our mobile banking apps, online, by calling us or speaking to a Community Banker.”The Bank of Scotland say 75 per cent of its personal customers already use