Robert Wallace from Greenock was chairman of the committee that examined the penny postage scheme put forward in 1837
A west of Scotland man who helped shape the postal service we know today is to be honoured.
Royal Mail is commemorating its 500th anniversary this year by celebrating some of the Scots who contributed to its history.
It has teamed up with the British Postal Museum Archive (BPMA) to create an online gallery of 500 objects, people and events telling the story of the postal service.
Among the key figures are Robert Wallace from Greenock, Inverclyde, who was chairman of the committee that examined the penny postage scheme put forward in 1837.
It was Wallace's casting vote that ensured the ideas, including prepayment of postage costs via letter sheets or adhesive stamps, were put forward to parliament and shaped the postal service we know today.
Jean Cameron, a postwoman in Glen Cova in Angus, was responsible for a change in uniform for female workers in the 1940s.
Faced with jumping over streams and navigating stiles on her round, she asked to wear trousers instead of the standard issue blue skirt.
The General Post Office, as it was then called, agreed to issue trousers which became known as "Camerons", with 14,000 pairs being worn by the end of 1943.
Fast forward to 1961 and teenager Bill Cockburn joined Royal Mail in Glasgow. After working his way through the ranks he served as a member of the board for 14 years and became chief executive in 1993.
This year commemorates 500 years since Henry VIII knighted Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts, in 1516. Tuke had the influence and authority to establish key post towns across the country and build a formal postal network.
The first mail coach route to Scotland was launched between London and Edinburgh in 1786. The coaches travelled the 400-mile journey in about 60 hours.
Scotland's first postbox was installed in 1861 and the box - on the front of the Golspie Inn in Sutherland - can still be seen today.
Moya Greene, Royal Mail's chief executive officer, said: "Royal Mail has been responsible for a number of world firsts - the Penny Black stamp and the first ever airmail flight to name just two.
"It has also changed almost beyond recognition, from a small group of English King's Messengers in those early days to a national network connecting consumers, companies and communities across the UK today.
"Against this backdrop of continued change, Royal Mail's people have been a constant presence. They are the heart of this company. I hope that, through them, we will continue to deliver the universal service and play an instrumental role in people's lives for many years to come."
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