Competition from the internet and mainland supermarkets is resulting in the closure of one of the best known shops in a Western Isles community.
Clachan Stores in North Uist has announced it will shut for good on 17 September.
A shop has stood on the same site at the Clachan junction for the last 140 years or so.
Strategically placed, the village was an important staging post for travellers crossing the North Ford sandbanks between North Uist and Benbecula before the five mile long causeway was built in September 1960.
The Post Office part of the business, which officially operates for 13 hours weekly, may continue for a couple more months to allow a potential shift to other premises.
Despite its prime spot on the main route through the Uists, the shop has suffered from a fall in trade in recent years.
Islanders buying in boxes of shopping from Asda and Tesco which are delivered by a mainland firm is one factor behind the decline.
Campervans stocking up on essential supplies before arriving on the island is another reason.
In the distant past, the holiday period would usually inject a vital boost for small rural shops, helping to survive the lean period between autumn and spring.
But there has been "no difference between summer and winter trade for the past four years," says co-owner Adele Coleman.
The impact of the wet weather on tourism this season didn't help, she added while the rise in online shopping plus the general economic situation has also taken its toll.
Adele Coleman who runs the premises with her husband, Lee, said: "This has been a stressful time.
"We are devastated we have to close.
"We are particularly sad for our customers we have seen every day for the last 12 years."
For some months, the community was aware the shop faced closure but the family is disappointed by the "deafening silence" from local councillors, said Lee Coleman.
The Colemans, who live above the shop, do not intend selling the building.
However, the store premises would be available to rent out as a shop or other commercial use.
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