Final flight for flying banker

A Royal Bank of Scotland employee who has flown almost 12,000 trips in Orkney is celebrating retirement after 31 years as the UK’s only full-time ‘flying banker’.

Anne Rendall has supported communities across the isles since May 1988 travelling between seven different islands by air or ferry.
Clocking up more than 11,500 journeys on Loganair’s eight-seat Britten Norman Islander, which provides the Orkney Inter-Isle air service, Anne helped Royal Bank of Scotland customers in the isles branches.

Anne served around 40 to 50 customers during each visit, from crofters to fishermen to those in the tourist industries.

She is only the second person to have held this exclusive role, taking over from Maisie Muir who started the flying service in 1969. Prior to that a banking boat, known as the Otter Bank and skippered by Anne’s great uncle, docked at each of the islands served by the bank.

Officially recognised for her service, Anne was awarded an MBE in 2010 and has worked for the bank for 43 years, serving customers at the branch in Kirkwall before she took on the flying banker role.

Her recent farewell flight was the 15-minute journey from Westray to Kirkwall, piloted by long-serving Captain Colin McAllister. The aircraft was met with a water cannon salute by the airport’s fire brigade and Anne was presented with retirement gifts and a Loganair membership card entitling her to two free return tickets and unlimited ticket upgrades whenever she travels.

As Anne left the final flight of her career she was met by Liam McArthur MSP, Bill Spence, Lord-Lieutenant of Orkney, her Kirkwall branch colleagues, Loganair and airport employees – who gave Anne a guard of honour as she walked to the terminal.

Another resident of Orkney, Lois Canning, who joined Royal Bank of Scotland in 2005 has been appointed to the role. Lois lives on the island of Shapinsay and takes the ferry to work every day. She is currently a personal banker in the Kirkwall branch.