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Sutherland morning milk round a hit with local residents





The Morning Milk Round has proved to be an 'essential' service for elderly residents.
The Morning Milk Round has proved to be an 'essential' service for elderly residents.

A village delivery company in Dornoch has proved a hit with locals as it celebrate its first year of operations in March.

The Morning Milk Round delivers glass bottled milk and newspapers to residents, visitors, and businesses throughout Dornoch and the surrounding area.

Dornoch residents David Diracles and Iain Macleod formed the company in March 2021 following the retirement of a local newsagent.

Mr Diracles said: "The idea for the business came to me when the local newsagent retired and it looked as though the milk and newspaper service enjoyed by the community might fall by the wayside. Iain, who has experience in running private hire, taxi, and other transport businesses, quickly came on board to manage and grow the business."

The business has been described as an 'essential' service to many residents, particularly those who are vulnerable or less mobile, and especially elderly residents who live outside the town.

Mr Diracles explains that a good driver can make all the difference to the service they provide, as was discovered with the addition of their driver, Lee Askham, in September.

He said: "Lee has been a credit to the business, making the rounds with his sunny outlook and regularly taking time out to have a chat with customers."

Many customers look forward to a chat with any of the 'friendly' delivery drivers doing their rounds.

One customer said: "Becoming elderly and living on my own in a rural setting, I find the Morning Milk Round a great help.

"Iain, David and Lee undertake their business most efficiently and are always willing to help with anything else I require. They are always happy to spend time having a wee chat which is much appreciated."

The delivery firm has also maintained a close eye on its environmental footprint.

Over the course of the last year the company estimates that it has collected over 5000 glass bottles for reuse.

Deliveries are also carried out using an electric van which is charged using 100% renewable electricity. With delivery runs totalling over 12,000 miles in the first year, they estimate that they have avoided the emissions of roughly 4 tonnes of CO2, in comparison to the mileage when using a typical diesel van.

With business picking up, the food delivery service is hoping to take on an additional driver and is preparing to add organic fruit, vegetables and eggs to its offering.

More information on the Morning Milk Round can be found on their Facebook page.


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