Royal Mail has confirmed that deliveries and collections will not take place across most of Scotland today. As of Monday, August 31, the Summer Bank Holiday brings postal services to a standstill.
The postal operator said: "There will be no deliveries or collections of mail in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Monday, August 31 (Summer Bank Holiday)."
Exempt areas in Scotland
However, a significant number of areas in Scotland are exempt from the suspension. Royal Mail confirmed that collections and deliveries will continue as normal in the following postcode areas: DG13, EH43-EH46, G, HS1-HS3, HS6, KA (excluding 6, 7 and 8), KW15-KW17, ML1-ML12, PA1-PA20, PA22-PA28, PA30-PA35, PA37-38, PA42, PA45, PA60, PH1, PH2, PH14, TD3, TD4-TD6, TD10-TD12, TD14 and ZE1-ZE2.
For those in Scotland not covered by the exemptions above, as well as customers throughout the rest of the UK, normal Royal Mail services will resume on Tuesday, September 1.
Upcoming local holidays in Scotland
Scotland also has several additional local holidays to be aware of in the coming weeks, each bringing additional delivery suspensions in specific postcode areas. On Monday, September 21, residents in the KA1-KA5, KA6-KA8 and KA16-KA18 postcode areas will see no collections or deliveries take place.
On Monday, September 28, the suspension broadens considerably, with no collections or deliveries across the G, KA9-KA15, KA19-KA30, KW15-KW17, ML1-ML12, PA1-PA13, PA20-PA28, PA30-35, PA37-38, PA42, PA45, PA60 and ZE1-ZE2 postcode areas.
Then on Monday, October 5, all collections and deliveries within the PH1, PH2 and PH14 postcode areas will be paused.
Bank Holidays and delivery times
For the rest of the UK, the next Bank Holiday falls on Friday, December 25. Boxing Day follows on Saturday, December 26, with a substitute Bank Holiday observed on Monday, December 28 - meaning mail will be suspended across those three dates.
On days when Royal Mail is operating normally, postal workers can arrive as early as 7am or as late as 4.30pm, with parcels occasionally delivered into the evening. Royal Mail advises that some packages may not arrive until around 6pm. In remote parts of Scotland and during peak periods, deliveries can run even later.
The speed of delivery depends on the service chosen. First Class items are typically delivered by the next working day, including Saturdays, while Second Class post generally takes two to three working days. Certain tracked services, including Tracked 24, may also carry Sunday parcel deliveries to selected locations.
