Bank of Scotland closures in Fortrose and Beauly in the will 'hit tourists and elderly people'
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The branches will be closed by the beginning of September as part of Bank of Scotland's move to shut 24 across the country.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council chairwoman, Sarah Atkin said: "The Black Isle, and Fortrose in particular has a growing population. If the closures go ahead there won't be a bank on the Black Isle. This is a short-sighted and ill-conceived decision.
"Alternative services at the local post office are not practical for those with mobility issues as there is no disabled ramp into this post office. "
Bank of Scotland have blamed the closures on changes to the way people use banking and on decreased footfall.
The bank in Fortrose was found to be 29 per cent quieter than the previous year while Beauly was 13 per cent quieter.
Amanda Frazer, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses Highlands & Islands regional committee, claims the Highlands is being unfairly targeted.
She said: "Many rural Highland communities depend heavily on visitors to sustain the businesses on which they rely, and visitors need access to cash."
In Fortrose 37 per cent of the bank users in the past year were over 65 and in Beauly 17 per cent of the overall bank users were over 75.
