A Fife village has been left without a post office in the run-up to Christmas.
The office in Main Street in Kingsbarns has been closed since October 25 due to illness and is not set to reopen until after the New Year.
In the meantime, villagers have been told to take their parcels and other business to either the post office in Pipeland Road, St Andrews, or the Crail branch.
Councillor Elizabeth Riches said she was ”dismayed” Post Office Limited had not taken steps to maintain the service over the busiest time of the year.
”The local post office really is something that matters in a community,” she said.
The Courier understands there is concern over the long-term future of Kingsbarns Post Office, with a lack of interest from prospective subpostmasters willing to take it over.
One Kingsbarns resident, who did not want to be named, said: ”It’s a sad loss for the village. Quite a number of people who live in the village are elderly and getting to St Andrews is difficult.
”The fact is that the post office should have a system in place to prevent closures like this. They should be able to put somebody in temporarily.”
Post Office Ltd said the temporary closure of Kingsbarns Post Office had been ”outwith our control” and apologised to customers.
The company also said it was committed to maintaining a service in the village.