The closure of vital Post Office facilities in Garelochhead is to be delayed by three months in the hope of securing their long-term future.

As previously reported in the Advertiser, the owners of Garelochhead Post Office, and the shop next door, were due to bring down the shutters for the last time on Thursday, March 28 after deciding to retire.

The shop is run by Anne Wood and the post office by Evanda Street - with Evanda being the "temporary" postmaster for the last 10 years.

However, the closure has now been delayed while options are explored for the service's future.

The news was announced after a meeting between Garelochhead Community Council (GCC) representatives, local MSP Jackie Baillie, and a senior Post Office official on Friday.

People in the village are being encouraged to use the service as normal whilst options are being explored.

Anne's mum ran the shop before her, with the family's tenure stretching back to 1986.

Their decision comes from a combination of a desire to wind down and not face the 5.30am starts every day.

But they lay most of the blame on the Post Office for making the business unsustainable.

READ MORE: 'I will miss you': Garelochhead braced for loss of Post Office and dedicated service

Watson Robinson, GCC's convener, who attended Friday's talks with his colleague Martin Croft, said: "Various ideas were proposed at the meeting to find the financial shortfall required to make it viable.

"These will now be explored over the next three months with the hope these can be found and we can retain our local post office in the village.

"Could we therefore ask that all current customers old and new continue to use the Post Office as normal while these avenues are explored.

"This will give us a better opportunity of retaining this vital part of the community."

It was agreed that a three-month delay of the closure was required to find a financial solution to secure the business's future.

Jackie Baillie MSP and Garelochhead Post Office have been approached for comment.