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The most difficult UK locations to deliver parcels to this Christmas
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on December 3, 2021
3 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on December 3, 2021
3 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Explore the UK's hardest locations for parcel delivery this Christmas, with insights on costs and delays. Plan ahead for remote deliveries.
We all know that Christmas seems to come around quicker every year
There’s even a name for this phenomenon: it’s called ‘Christmas Creep.’ But whether you love or loathe the creeping encroachment of jingle bells, there are times in which it’s very handy to think about Christmas early – especially when it comes to the extra time it takes to send packages to loved ones in remote locations.
Recent research by Quote Goat, an insurance, finance, and energy comparison site for consumers and businesses, has revealed the 24 hardest UK locations to deliver to just in time for Christmas, and has even investigated the time and cost sanctions that apply to each region, which range from an additional £21.50 in courier fees plus 5 extra working days in delivery time through to zero time and cost sanctions, despite being identified as one of the hardest locations to reach.
The following five not only topped the charts but also shared the most unusual delivery situations:
The Orkney Islands
Admittedly, it’s not the most surprising reveal in the world to find that Orkney ranks at number eight on the list of difficult-to-reach locations: a collection of islands off the northern coast of Scotland is, after all, about as remote as it gets.
In fact, delivery difficulties in Orkney have led the Royal Mail to take drastic new steps – including, in October, the trial of a drone-based postal service, allowing flying robots to deliver up to 100kg of post to some of the island’s reclusive residents.
Isles of Scilly
The remote Orkney Islands might be lonely places, but they’re in good company on this list! The Isles of Scilly rank at number one on the list of most difficult-to-reach delivery locations – and, like Orkney, the Royal Mail has been resorting to drones to carry vital supplies like COVID tests and PPE to residents.
For those who need to use couriers, however, time and expense will quickly mount up with all delivery services charging additional fees.
Pembrokeshire, Wales
Surprisingly, delivery difficulty isn’t just limited to islands as several locations in Wales also made the list.
Despite being a popular holiday destination, Pembrokeshire creeped into the bottom of the chart – showing that you can’t make any assumptions when it comes to tricky parcel deliveries. The good news, however, is despite the fact its surrounded by sea on all three sides, you don’t need a boat to get there!
Outer Hebrides
It’s not all surprises, of course, and the Outer Hebrides rockets us back up the list to number two.
In fact, Scottish islands like this have been historically associated with the ‘Postcode Penalty,’ whereby around a million Scots face additional fees for deliveries – with island communities in particular facing a 500 per cent mark up compared to standard delivery prices, according to Citizens Advice Scotland.
Highlands
So, what do these prices and timescales look like? Let’s take number four on our list (the highlands) as an example.
If you wanted to send a parcel to – for the sake of argument – Invergarry via courier, you could face delivery charges of £21.50 and between three and five working days of additional delivery time.
So, if you’re the kind of person who likes to save your shopping for Christmas Eve, maybe spare a thought for your remote or island-bound relatives – who may otherwise find a surprise package dropped off by drones sometime in the New Year!
Brought to you by Quote Goat
The article discusses the most difficult UK locations for parcel delivery during Christmas, highlighting costs and time delays.
Remote locations like islands and highlands face logistical challenges, leading to higher costs and longer delivery times.
The Royal Mail is trialing drone deliveries in remote areas to overcome logistical challenges.
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