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Insider UK
Insider UK
Business
Peter A Walker

Thousands of bank branches have closed in the past 12 years - but how many are in your area?

More bank closures have been announced - but how many has your area already lost?

NatWest is set to close 21 branches in the coming months, while Royal Bank of Scotland will close 11.

The overall number of bank branches across the UK fell from 14,855 in 2010 to 6,965 in 2021.

In Scotland, the number of bank branches open dropped by 11% in the year to March 2021, from around 690 to around 615.

Overall, the number of bank branches in the country has fallen from around 1,500 in 2010.

The number of building society branches in Scotland remained the same as in 2020, at around 135. That is actually an increase from 110 in 2010.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are rounded to the nearest five:

Local authority Bank branches - 2010 Bank branches - 2020 Bank branches - 2021
Aberdeen City 60 40 35
Aberdeenshire 55 30 30
Angus 25 10 10
Argyll and Bute 30 20 20
Clackmannanshire 10 0 0
Dumfries and Galloway 40 20 20
Dundee City 35 20 20
East Ayrshire 25 10 5
East Dunbartonshire 25 15 10
East Lothian 20 10 10
East Renfrewshire 20 10 5
City of Edinburgh 360 105 85
Na h-Eileanan Siar 5 5 5
Falkirk 25 10 10
Fife 60 35 35
Glasgow City 220 90 85
Highland 70 45 40
Inverclyde 10 10 10
Midlothian 15 10 10
Moray 25 10 10
North Ayrshire 30 15 15
North Lanarkshire 55 25 20
Orkney Islands 5 5 5
Perth and Kinross 35 20 15
Renfrewshire 35 10 10
Scottish Borders 30 20 15
Shetland Islands 5 5 5
South Ayrshire 25 10 10
South Lanarkshire 65 35 30
Stirling 25 10 10
West Dunbartonshire 30 15 10
West Lothian 25 15 15

According to the ONS count, there were 6,965 branches open nationally in March 2021, a fall from 7,675 the year before.

Some areas may now no longer have a local branch - including Clackmannanshire, which has fewer than three branches.

The planned NatWest and RBS closures will take place over the next 12 months.

A NatWest spokesperson said: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.

“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

“We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.”

ONS figures showed that in early 2020, 76% of people had used internet banking in the previous three months, up from 73% in 2019.

However, that varied from around 90% of 16 to 44 year-olds to 69% of those aged 55 to 64 and 49% of those aged 65 and over.

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