Royal Mail has warned that customers across 11 Scottish postcodes could face delivery delays today, Thursday, August 13. The postal service is dealing with local issues affecting its operations.
The affected areas include parts of Aberdeen, Buckie and Inverclyde, with customers in some locations potentially experiencing longer waits for their post.
Royal Mail statement on delays
Royal Mail has published details of the areas affected on its official website. The company said: "We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week. In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors."
It explained that where disruptions occur, deliveries may be rotated between areas to help minimise the impact on individual customers.
Royal Mail added: "In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers. We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive."
The company also apologised to customers affected by the disruption, saying: "We're sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding."
Affected postcode areas
The delays are currently affecting the following delivery offices and postcode areas:
- Altens DO: AB10, AB11, AB12 and AB35
- Buckie DO: AB56
- Inverclyde DO: PA14, PA15, PA16, PA17, PA18, PA19
The Inverclyde disruption covers several areas of the region, including Port Glasgow, Greenock, Inverkip, Skelmorlie, Wemyss Bay and Gourock.
Customers living in the affected postcode areas may therefore experience delays to incoming mail today. Royal Mail says it is providing targeted support to affected offices as it works to restore normal service levels.
The company continues to aim for deliveries six days a week, although local operational problems can temporarily affect its ability to maintain its usual schedule.
Safeplace guidance
It comes after Royal Mail issued an alert for those choosing a 'safeplace' location for their parcels when they know they won't be in. The company explained that there is a limit on what counts as an acceptable safe space for their posties to leave parcels.
Unfortunately to those who believe their recycling bin is a safe spot, it does not make the cut, even if it seems hidden away and convenient. The postal service says the safest options are locations that are secure and sheltered from the unpredictable weather.
Royal Mail explains customers can set instructions through its app, telling staff where to leave items when no one answers the door.
The website states: "Your chosen Safeplace should be a secure, weatherproof area of the property that is out of sight and easily accessible for us. Requests to place parcels in recycling bins are not considered as a Safeplace by Royal Mail."
