to think that the Scottish Highlands are in fact part of the UK mainland?

[Habbibu]

I've just ordered some spare parts for my coffee machine, and, on trying to find out more about shipping, read this: "Please note that as from today 26/01/2010 we now ONLY ship to the UK Mainland.

We no longer ship to southern or northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey,Isle of man, Scottish Highlands and Islands or anywhere outside of mainland UK.

This is due to the fact that shipping to these destinations has proved difficult and time consuming.

Please note that there are NO EXCEPTIONS to the rule, please do not E-mail us asking us about this as these mails will not be replied to."

Leaving aside the rather unfriendly and unhelpful nature of this note, plus the PITA it must be to those on the islands, since when was there a sea to cross to get to (say) Inverness? How is it so more difficult to get just that bit further up the A9? (well, yes, yes, I know, it can be a pain, but you get my point). Thankfully it doesn't affect me (though I have seen the odd place that won't deliver north of Edinburgh), but it's a massive pain for my ILs and others - who manage to get themselves up and down the road quite happily.

No offence intended to Germany btw.

This is a subject that really pisses me off!

I live in Thurso. We are still MAINLAND! We do not live a ferry ride away from mainland UK..... we are still a part of the UK!

Delivery charges by some companies really do take the piss, and not only that, the service is quite often atrocious too!

£1.37.9 a litre for diesel to boot, and things cost the earth here!

Thank heavens for the companies that do post at resonable prices! It doesnt cost me any more to send something to someone in London than it does for them to send it to me so how can these people warrant it!

Use Royal Mail and its all good 99% of the time!

well, they used to cross the Moray firth by ferry.. maybe we shot ourselves in the foot by digging the Caledonian Canal?

FWIW John Lewis and Next are both great for bulkier items. Neither charge extra for H & I. In fact John Lewis is free delivery over £30 (I think).

I'd be very curious to see their definition of the Mainland.

Where does the cut off begin?

Amazon say that Mainland UK is everywhere except BFPO and the Outer Hebrides.

"The mainland includes England Scotland and Wales although some couriers charge more for the highlands of scotland (which are normally very sparce and it can be a 10 mile drive along a single road to deliver one parcel which is obviously not cost effective that is why there are Highlands of Scotland surcharges.
All the scottish offshore islands and channel islands are more expensive because it costs carriers more sometimes a lot more to deliver there in terms of fuel/lorry on ship costs etc. This then is of course passed on as surcharges.

Royal Mail I believe don't charge anymore as they see the UK as the UK and thats it one price for all (it seems so anyway) especially as it was owned by the UK government before it became privatised and so they charge the service the same as anywhere else. Royal Mail are well known for this and make considerable losses in delivering parcels for nothing- perhaps why they're always: getting pay cuts, pension stopping, having strikes, government bailouts etc"

Haha found the above on another site! The thread is http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php/t-111186.html Here

Dang it, tried to link in a hurry!

ndex.php/t-111186.html Here

This is a bit embarrassing lol.

It took us approximately 2.5 hours to get from lower Argyll to Pitlochry. This involved a ferry crossing, then the A8/M8 to to the M9 junction, then up the A9.

Similarly, it's taken us, several times, the same amount of time to get from Leith to Blair Atholl, factoring in the extra traffic that is usual in the S./N. Queensferry area and leaving the A9.

Here

Last go...

I usually can do this believe it or not .

It takes me about 3 hours to travel from deepest Argyll to Glasgow.

Exactly Milngavie and it has taken me 4hrs to drive from Stafford to Birmingham due to gridlocked traffic. I'm sure that would have used proportionally more fuel than the drive from Argyll to Glasgow.

'The mainland includes England Scotland and Wales although some couriers charge more for the highlands of scotland (which are normally very sparce and it can be a 10 mile drive along a single road to deliver one parcel which is obviously not cost effective that is why there are Highlands of Scotland surcharges.'

Is it also quite common to drive 10 miles or more along a single road in many parts of N. England and Wales. Or in non-Highland parts of Scotland such as Ayrshire and some parts of the Borders we know quite well.

Yet the surcharges only apply to 'The Highlands', which, last I checked, do not include Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, or Stirling.

Parts of Argyll also include areas quite close to Glasgow, such as Helensburgh, and only Bute and the lower Western Isles are not on the mainland.

I totally get that some of the outlying areas are remote, and therefore not cost effective, however Royal Mail can do it!

Its more annoying for us in Thurso and Wick because we are big towns and yet we have to bear the brunt!

They get over the close to Glasgow hurdle but stating exactly which PA post codes will cost more. It leaves me speechless. Technically the parts of Argyll which are close to Glasgow, such as Helensburgh, are H&I but they aren't charged the extra.

I think the courier companies make the maps up to suit themselves really.

My conversation with a Cornwall shop owner when I was living in Inverness:

Her: oh it'll cost an extra £20 to deliver to you because you're in a remote area

Me: Inverness is a pretty large town you know with roads and an airport and everything

Her: yeah but it's, like, on the north coast of Scotland, isn't it

Me: er, no

Her: Are you sure??

'I'm sure that would have used proportionally more fuel than the drive from Argyll to Glasgow.'

More than likely it would use more fuel as, excepting when you go through villages, even the single carriageways in the parts of Argyll and Perthsire we know are 60mph roads with little traffic.

Although many in part of lower Argyll do use a ferry to get into the Glasgow area, it's entirely possible to do it by road, which is mostly 60mph excepting through about 5 villages that I can think of, none of which is more than a blip on the map.

Once, for fun, we went all the 'old road' from lower Argyll into Dunkeld, then used the A9 until we had to get off to get the Blair Athool (my MIL's people were originally from this area). Even then, it was 5 hours and that included a stop in Crieff for a meal in Subway and a bit of leg-stretching.

I know huge swathes of the Borders and Dum &Gal which have single track roads, they get delieveries ok

I've never used the ferries, except to get to Dunoon. From here it is 2 ferries and lots of money to get to Glasgow using the ferry route. Strangely the route finders and GPS like to use the ferry routes [smile.

Tarbert-Portavadie then Dunoon-Gourock or the 2 Arran ferries. Doesn't save time and costs a lot more.

The old road to Dunkeld is gorgeous, isn't it? We went up from Perth just before Christmas (A9 was shut) and it was so beautiful.

So, anyway, do Londoners get charged more for delivery because of the congestion charge? And why can't couriers work together to ensure it's not just one parcel for 10 miles?

Today I received a parcel from Amazon (Jamies 30 minute Meals if anyone is interested) I ordered it on Monday afternoon, free postage via Royal Mail. Last week I received some trainers, also from Amazon and also taking 2 days via Royal Mail. If Amazon can do it so can everyone else. I also agree about Next, good quick service and the same charges country wide. We are being ripped off.
And as far as Highland Council go it is jobs for the boys and I honestly don't think there is a lot we can do. But maybe I'm just being defeatist.
Isn't it nice to have this little Highland thread though, where we can rant at local issues?

I'm away home now, believe it or not been working and MNing at same time. I'll be back later to see whats occurring!

We went in October, Habb. The colours were stunning.

'Tarbert-Portavadie then Dunoon-Gourock or the 2 Arran ferries. Doesn't save time and costs a lot more.'

Does that Tarbert-Portavadie ferry run all year? I thought it was only for summer, or is that the one that goes to Campbeltown I'm thinking of (they're getting a Tesco ).

I use Amazon, GLTC, Lakeland, Next, sellers on Folksy/Etsy, Argos, Tesco Direct etc all the time because, being in Argyll, we do not have very many retailers and order most things online as it's cost prohibitive to haul into the Glasgow area every time you want something.