Former postmistress’s lifelong link to service

Chrissie Maclachlan, the octogenarian resident of the croft Caalmogo, at Lochan Dubh, near Kilchoan in West Ardnamurchan, has known the phone box for most of her working life.

As the former postmistress, it was one of her duties to empty the coin box of the phone box in days gone by.

She saw the price of calls rise to 2p when coins turned to metric in 1971, and she embraced the move away from coins to cards.

Mrs Maclachlan, 87, said the coin box at Kilmory was often “very full” and had to be emptied monthly.

“The lambs are going away today and it reminds me why it is important to have a phone box,” she said.

“At any time someone can get into difficulty.

“We all have to carry the cards so we can make phone calls – but it is worth it because there is no mobile phone reception in the area.”