Most remote honesty box ended after thefts

THE owners of Britain’s most remote honesty box have had to scrap the service after their shop was repeatedly targeted by thieves.

Kilchoan Estate Farm Shop, located on Knoydart peninsula in Invernessshire, an area only accessible by boat or via an 18-mile walk through mountainous countryside, had provided a collection box to allow purchases after hours. However, due to a number of thefts, the shop, which opened in May last year, will now close at the end of the working day.

Writing on social media, a spokesman for Kilchoan Estate said: “It saddens me to say the Farm Shop will no longer be open 24/7. We’ve had another ‘incident’ involving our honesty box. The shop will now be locked up when Iain and Mike [estate workers] are finished. Sorry for the inconvenience, I know a lot of folk come up after they are finished work.” The spokesman added that the thieves generally took around £50 each time they struck.

The shop, one of three on Knoydart, sold local produce, food supplies and essentials. It will now only open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with variable times at weekends.

Knoydart is often called “Britain’s last wilderness”. Its seven miles of tarred road are not connected to the UK road system and the peninsula is home to about 100 people.