Two of 10 RBS closure-risk banks saved

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is keeping two of its 10 closure-threatened Scottish branches open following a review.

Biggar in South Lanarkshire and Castlebay in Barra, in the Western Isles, will remain open.

Branches in Comrie, Beauly, Douglas, Gretna, Inveraray, Kyle, Tongue and Melrose are to be shut.

RBS' commissioning of the review of usage followed public and political opposition to the planned closures.

The 10 branches were among 62 across Scotland earmarked closure, but kept open during the review.

The union, Unite, which has criticised the closures, said the branches that have not been saved are expected to be closed on or around 11 January next year.

RBS said it will continue to work with the affected communities and customers to ensure they "understand the changes and the alternative ways to bank available to them".

On the Biggar and Barra decisions, Simon Watson, of RBS, said: "These branches were selected because, unlike the other branches that were closed, they were nearly all the last bank in town and more than nine miles to the nearest alternative Royal Bank branch."

He said RBS had accepted the recommendations in Johnston Carmichael's review in full.

Mr Watson added: "We know branches are important to many communities, but equally we know that fewer and fewer people are using them as more people bank online.

"In every case of a branch closing we are committed to providing the best possible range of banking alternatives, including mobile branches, banking in the local post office, community bankers and remote services such as telephone banking."

RBS said it will make no further reviews of its branch network "until at least 2020".

Unite, which has members among RBS' workforce, has criticised the bank's decision to save just two of the branches.

Regional officer Lyn Turner said: "This is obviously good news for RBS customers and communities in Castlebay and Biggar."

But she added: "Sixty communities out of an original sixty-two earmarked for closure will now be marginalised by this so-called review."

Western Isles SNP MP, Angus MacNeil, who made repeated calls for RBS to keep Castlebay open, described the retention of that branch as "a victory for common sense".

He added: "A cloud has been lifted from the island economy and now visitors and locals alike will keep proper bank services on Barra."

Scottish Labour's deputy leader Lesley Laird said the handling of the branch closure programme had been "a shambles and communities across Scotland will be devastated by this news".

Scottish Conservative MP John Lamont said the recommendations to close the other branches were a "slap in the face" for the communities involved.

Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Lib Dem MP, Jamie Stone, urged RBS to "think again" and halt the closure of the Highlands branches, such as Tongue.