RBS is set to close 16 branches in Scotland towards the end of the year, but added that it won't review its network until at least 2026.
The banking giant will axe 16 branches, while two in Inverness will be relocated (29 Harbour Road and Unit 28 Eastgate Shopping Centre).
YourMoney.com understands that £2.5m has been allocated to develop a new flagship branch in Inverness, in a prime location near the Eastgate Shopping Centre, at Falcon Square.
These are the latest branch locations flagged to close:
- 78 Union Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1HH, 09/10/2024
- 8 Hopetoun Street, Bathgate, EH48 4EU, 25/09/2024
- 18 Tay Walk, Cumbernauld, G67 1DE, 18/09/2024
- 277 Strathmartine Road, Dundee, DD3 8NS, 08/10/2024
- 24/25 Princes Square, East Kilbride, G74 1LJ, 01/10/2024
- 206 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, EH10 4DF, 26/09/2024
- 2 Bernard Street, Leith, EH6 6PU, 10/10/2024
- 30 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DL, 19/09/2024
- 2139 Paisley Road, West Cardonald, G52 3JW, 17/09/2024
- 9 Clifton Place, Glasgow, G3 7JU, 19/11/2024
- 88 Main Street, Rutherglen, G73 2JA, 24/09/2024
- 2 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, G84 8SJ, 25/09/2024
- 35/37 Main Street, Largs, KA30 8AF, 03/10/2024
- 2 Main Street, New Deer, AB53 6TA, 26/09/2024
- 30 Old Liston Road, Newbridge, EH28 8SS, 02/10/2024
- 98 Main Street, Wishaw, ML2 7LU, 24/09/2024
Given previous closure announcements, it means a total of 18 branches are set to close in 2024. The Newbridge location will require a replacement LINK ATM.
NatWest Group, which includes RBS, said closures were off the back of increased digital banking.
A spokesperson said: “Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97% of retail accounts with us are now opened online.
“While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us. We commit to no further review of our Royal Bank of Scotland branch network until at least 2026.
“We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network – we are investing c£10.5m in our network across Scotland, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.”
The spokesperson added: “Like any business, we strive to meet our customers’ changing needs and expectations, and we’ve been responding to the industry-wide shift towards digital services by investing to broaden what customers can do themselves and to offer them greater personalisation.”
They also acknowledged that a small number of people are not yet comfortable with digital banking, which is why it is proactively reaching out to support them, having made over 200,000 calls last year.
“We also have experts that they can speak to for support and guidance”, they said.
