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NatWest Group’s Flying Banker service is marking its 60th anniversary, providing in-person banking to customers on three remote Orkney islands. Banker Lois Canning travels by small plane when conditions allow, while weather and transport disruption can force changes to her route. Islanders interviewed by This Is Money said the service supports cash-dependent businesses and customers who need help with banking.
NatWest Group’s Flying Banker service is marking its 60th anniversary, continuing to provide face-to-face banking on three remote Orkney islands where customers say access to cash, change and practical support remains important. Lois Canning, who took over the role in 2019, travels from Kirkwall to island outposts, usually by small aircraft when weather permits.
Canning works with customers on Westray, Sanday and Stronsay, offering cash deposits and withdrawals, change for businesses, cheque payments and help for people experiencing problems with the bank’s app. On Westray, she works from a small building near the shore every Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The report says she may see up to 50 customers in a day.
The route is subject to disruption. During the visit described by This Is Money, gales cancelled Canning’s 20-minute flight from Westray to Kirkwall. She instead took a ferry journey that lasted about 90 minutes. Sea fog can also affect travel, she said. A notice at the Westray outpost warns customers that weather may interrupt the service.
Customers interviewed by the newspaper described using the service for both personal and business banking. Westray farmer and business owner Stewart Groat said he relies on it for cash and change, including to pay some wages. Student Phoebe Ryder said Canning helped her with accounts and an ISA, while cattle farmer Maggie Drever said she brings her 91-year-old mother for assistance with online banking.
Banking Access Across Orkney’s North Isles
The service provides an in-person option for residents who may otherwise need to travel to Kirkwall or rely on digital banking. For Westray customers, Ryder told This Is Money that a trip to Kirkwall and back can take about three hours and cost a day. That distance matters for people who need to deposit cash, pay in cheques or get assistance with an account.
Its value is also practical for local businesses. Groat, who runs several businesses and employs 10 people, said cash services help him operate. Hostel, bed-and-breakfast and campsite owner Teenie Harcus also told the newspaper her business uses cash and needs access to change. Those accounts show why an occasional island banking service can matter even when many everyday transactions are available online.
The report places the service against a wider decline in branch access. NatWest Group, which includes NatWest and RBS, has closed more than 1,500 branches since 2015, according to the article. It cites consumer group Which? as saying banks and building societies have shut 6,896 branches over the same period. The Flying Banker does not replace a full branch, but serves customers in communities where a conventional branch is not available.
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From Call Centre to Island Routes
Canning previously worked in telephone banking at a call centre in Berkshire. She later moved to Orkney with her partner and teenage daughter and now lives on Shapinsay. She took over the Flying Banker role in 2019 and told This Is Money she has no plans to retire, describing it as a way of life she loves.
The article describes the service as marking its 60th anniversary and says it is believed to be one of only a handful of similar services worldwide. That description is attributed to the report rather than independently established here. Canning’s weekly Westray visit is supplemented by trips to Sanday and Stronsay on alternate Thursdays. She has also helped the Sanday Community Craft Hub arrange use of bank buildings on days when she is not on the island.
Remote banking can also be affected by infrastructure problems beyond travel. When an undersea internet cable serving Westray was damaged in March, Canning helped customers in person and took paperwork back to Kirkwall for processing, according to the report. The incident illustrates how an in-person service can assist when digital access is interrupted.
“It’s a way of life that I love.”
— Lois Canning, Flying Banker, as quoted by This Is Money
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Weather and Service Details
The report does not give a full timetable for every island visit beyond Canning’s weekly Westray day and alternate-Thursday trips to Sanday and Stronsay. It also does not specify how often weather prevents travel, how many customers use the service across all three islands, or what contingency arrangements apply when a visit is cancelled.
NatWest Group’s stated long-term commitment to keep the service operating is reported by This Is Money, but the article does not provide a detailed funding plan, staffing arrangements or a date through which the service is guaranteed. The precise scope of the current branch-closure programme is also not set out beyond the report’s statement that a round of 40 closures is due to finish early next year.
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Regular Island Visits Continue
Canning’s described schedule continues with weekly service on Westray and alternate-Thursday visits to Sanday and Stronsay, subject to transport and weather conditions. Customers should expect possible disruption: the Westray building carries a warning about weather-related interruptions, and the reported gale-related cancellation shows that a planned flight may be replaced by a ferry journey or otherwise affected.
The source report says NatWest Group is committed to keeping the service operating for years to come, but does not provide a new policy announcement or specific future milestones beyond the anniversary. Further detail about the service’s long-term arrangements, customer numbers and plans for disrupted visits was not included in the report.
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Key Questions
What is the Flying Banker service?
It is a NatWest Group service in which banker Lois Canning visits remote Orkney islands to provide face-to-face banking, including cash services, cheque payments and help with app problems.
Which islands does Lois Canning visit?
Canning serves Westray, Sanday and Stronsay. She visits Westray every Wednesday and travels to Sanday and Stronsay on alternate Thursdays, according to the report.
Why do island residents use the service?
Customers told This Is Money they use it to deposit business takings, obtain change, pay in cheques and get help with banking. Travelling to Kirkwall can take about three hours round-trip for Westray residents, according to one customer.
Can weather disrupt the Flying Banker’s visits?
Yes. Flights can be affected by gales or sea fog. In the example reported, a cancelled flight from Westray meant Canning returned to Kirkwall by ferry, a journey of about 90 minutes.
Is the service guaranteed to continue?
This Is Money reported that NatWest Group is committed to keeping the service operating for years to come. The report did not give a specific end date, detailed funding plan or formal guarantee covering a defined period.
Source: rss
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