Sanquhar post office reaches remarkable milestone

  • Border
David Mundell MP presents Sanquhar post office staff with a plaque to commemorate its 300th anniversary Credit: ITV Border

Celebrations have been taking place to mark the 300th birthday of the world's oldest post office. The branch in Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway opened in 1712 as a staging post for runners moving mail on foot and horseback.

A plaque was handed over the postmistress during a ceremony. It was delivered by David Mundell MP.

Postmistress Penny Murphy told ITV Border "the post office is older than America, we should be proud, we are proud, we have not just a national treasure, but an international treasure here and it's situated in Sanquhar, which is lovely"

The post office has been open longer than rival branches in Chile and Sweden. Regular customers say it's a vital part of the community and they hope it will be open for many years to come.