The Ferry Stores, Kilchoan

It was with deep, deep sadness that we read this notice on The Ferry's Stores' Facebook page, here, for we owned and ran that shop from 1997 to 2006.

The Ferry Stores is in the small crofting community of Ormsaigbeg, just by Kilchoan at the end of the Ardnamurchan peninsula, some two-hour drive to the west of Fort William. It's remote. Life is tough. Distances are large. Running any shop is hard, sometimes thankless work. Suppliers weren't always keen to serve us, and those who did were expensive, prices which had to be passed on to the customer. But we loved Ardnamurchan, and our 21 years there were happy times. After we sold the shop I kept a blog, which gives a good idea of the area - it's here.

We were very conscious that, as well as being a business which had to support our family, the Stores played a vital part in keeping the community going. For example, as well as serving the general public, our petrol station, which we completely rebuilt, served the fire engine, the Coastguard truck, and the nurses' ambulance. The shop also housed the Post Office, and sold a wide range of goods which included the daily papers.

I can't imagine Kilchoan without its shop. For many of the permanent residents, it won't make much difference - even in our time they shopped in Tobermory or Fort William, and now home delivery will have put further pressure on the business. I hope the shop can be saved: after our successor died the community looked at running it as a community shop but, I think wisely at the time, decided against it.

I'm hoping that the community will rally round and find a way forward - as it has done so often before. However, if the shop does close, it will be the most vulnerable members of the community who will miss it most.