Scotland’s high streets in crisis: 9 pictures showing the decline of town centres
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Feb 2019, 12:54 GMT
Updated 4th Feb 2019, 13:55 GMT
WOOLWORTHS GALASHIELS CLOSURE , WOOLWORTHS IN GALASHIELS CLOSES TODAY. PHOTO PHIL WILKINSON / TSPL
People shopping
It’s no secret the high street is suffering. From cities to small towns, Scotland’s urban centres have been rocked by waves of store closures and a rise in long-term vacant units.
Some of the biggest names in retail have vanished and banks are no longer a fixture of every shopping centre. Politicians and business leaders appear powerless to prevent the changes brought about by changing lifestyles and the rise in online shopping. In 2017, Scotland recorded the biggest reduction in the number of occupied high street units of anywhere in the UK.
Woolworth's was one of the UK's most famous retail brands. But all 807 stores, including this example in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, were closed in January 2009. The company was among the first of the 'big names' to vanish
Throughout the 1990s, American fast food franchises were booming - with restaurants opening in multiple Scottish locations. But by the 2010s many were closing, including this former Burger King in Falkirk High Street
Banks were once a staple of every high street. Royal Bank of Scotland has announced the closure of more than 200 branches in recent years. Among the first to go was the branch in Bonnybridge in 2014, despite local protests
