A petition has been launched calling for a new Post Office to be installed in a north-east village after the doors recently closed on the previous facility.
The Kemnay shop closed on Thursday, having run from the same building since 1888.
Now a petition is calling on residents to support a new Post Office for the village in order to stop locals having to make a 14-mile round trip to the nearest branch in Inverurie.
The petition states: “We would like to thank the final Postmaster/Postmistress for their excellent service over the last 12 years.
“We are voicing our support for a new Post Office to be located somewhere within the boundaries of Kemnay, Aberdeenshire.
“We hope to encourage another business or person to step forward with a new Post Office in Kemnay so that this is just a temporary closure and not a loss to the community forever.
“The aim is for at least one member of over 2,000 households in the village and affected surrounding areas to sign this petition.”
As well as the online petition, which was launched by resident Melanie Jones and has so far received 300 signatures, paper petitions have been distributed in Kemnay Library and several local businesses.
It adds: “If you have already signed one of the paper petitions found in the library or in one of the many of the businesses in the village then your voice has been heard, but please share the link for this petition with friends and family to sign.”
A Post Office spokesman said: “We apologise to customers for any inconvenience, as we know how important Post Office services are to the local community.”
To sign the petition, visit bit.ly/2CzhcIw or to sign a paper copy, email drjones@paradiseclinic.co.uk