More ATMs for Pitlochry’s shoppers?

New plan adds to ATM services to be provided by the new Tesco

New plan adds to Tesco service

There is a well-known saying about waiting for buses and it looks like Pitlochry could soon have an ‘embarrassment’ of cash withdrawal riches, not long after politicians were slamming lack of banking services.

The closure of the town’s last bank in October 2025 (Bank of Scotland) was rightly met with derision and, despite campaigns for banking hubs and letters to the Financial Conduct Authority, residents and visitors have not exactly been blessed with key cash facilities.

Now, however, things could be set to improve, in some senses at least, with not one but two applications submitted for new ATMs in the town.

Tesco is progressing towards its early 2027 opening

Tesco progressing

The coming Tesco, which was shown this week to be progressing rapidly towards its early 2027 opening, will house new cash machines at its £8.75m store.

There could also be a brand new window ATM at Premier on 63 Atholl Road, a popular shop on the town’s principal street.

An application has been submitted for the shop on behalf of Euronet Worldwide which plans to host a 24-hour window cash facility.

The former Bank of Scotland in Pitlochry

Busy

The company says it expects the machine to ‘have a reasonably high level of transactions’, providing benefit to the community of ‘cash on demand’.

The dearth of ATMs has been well documented in the town which has suffered alongside other Highland Perthshire communities such as Aberfeldy due to its failure to meet the criteria required by LINK UK of a ‘banking hub’.

Crieff and Auchterarder, which service less people than Pitlochry, do qualify and currently enjoy active hub facilities.

The loss of its bank branches has been particularly felt by senior customers in Pitlochry who prefer to do banking with humans rather than digitally.

With the town’s population swelling to between 5000 and 10 000 during the peak summer season, loss of services has been keenly felt, with a cash machine at the Coop and an over-the-counter cash withdrawal service inside the Post Office.

Political attention

Local MSP Murdo Fraser took up residents’ concerns as did local MP Dave Doogan, now SNP leader at Westminster.

The loss of rural banking services was also a recent debate point at the Scottish Affairs Committee before the recess, at the Commons.

Locals will be hoping the ATM applications are successful, providing a little succour at least from LINK’s stubborn resistance over hubs.