The history of Scotland never fails to amaze us. From a castle on every corner to picturesque places worth centuries of memories, the ancient land holds many secrets yet to be uncovered. However, the oldest post office in the world is not a safeguarded secret at all, and is located just an hour’s drive from Glasgow.
Sanquhar Post Office in Dumfries and Galloway is officially the world’s oldest post office, having celebrated its 300th birthday in 2012. The post office’s historic status is recognised by both the Universal Postal Union and the Guinness Book of World Records, having opened on February 5 in 1712.
The second oldest post office in the world is in Stockholm, Sweden, which opened in 1720, while the third is in Santiago, Chile, and opened its doors in 1772.
What is more, in its 300-plus years, the Sanquhar Post Office on Sanquhar’s High Street has only had 17 owners! The post office’s newest owner took over in 2023 – Barry Ford, who has moved his wife Mary over from Florida to run the shop after 20 years living overseas.
Barry, originally from Lincolnshire, was an “avid stamp collector” as a child, and running the world’s oldest post office must be a dream come true. What is more, the couple ended up discovering Mary’s ancestors are from the Muirkirk area in East Ayrshire.
Barry Ford told Sky News: “It is amazing that I have gone from living in Florida for 20 years, where the history is mostly 19th to 20th century, to becoming the postmaster for the world’s oldest post office which dates back over 300-plus years.
“I was an avid stamp collector as a child and to discover that Mary’s ancestors were from the local area was fate. I am also proud to be this post office’s 17th postmaster, which isn’t that many considering its long history.”