Bank of Scotland to close 13 branches this year

Bank of Scotland announced that it will be closing over a dozen branches across Scotland this year.

By the 18th of September a total of 13 branches will be shut in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Paisley.

The decision comes following a strategic review of the business announced in October last year.

Four of the branches are in Glasgow (Duke Street, Muirend, Glasgow Cross and Hillhead), seven are in Edinburgh (Marchmont, Blackhall, Fairmilehead, St James, Holyrood, Murrayfield and Sighthill) and one is in Aberdeen (Torry).

A bank spokesman said: “Our focus has been on urban areas where there is another Bank of Scotland branch in close proximity in order to minimise the disruption to customers. Branches continue to play an important role for Bank of Scotland and we apologise to customers for any inconvenience this may cause”

FSB criticised bank’s decision 

The announcement comes a day after the Royal Bank of Scotland confirmed that it will also be closing several branches across Scotland.

The Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland criticised the announcements made by the two banks.

 

Colin Borland, the FSB’s head of external affairs in Scotland, said:

“This is a bad week for Scottish towns and underlines a worrying trend. While we support the use of technology to provide better services, businesses need locations to deposit and withdraw cash.

“Bank branches also provide important footfall to our high streets. Business owners want to look their manager in the eye when they do deals and develop relationships.

“We urge Scotland’s big banks to revisit this decision and pledge to stop abandoning small town Scotland.

“Our warning that large public and private sector bodies are pulling the rug from many local economies has come to fruition. As long as big bodies continue to reach the same conclusion over and over again – that consolidating their estate is an easy way to deliver short-term paper savings – then small town Scotland will continue to lose out.”