Local Stamps of GB, Channel Islands and Isle of Man

Shuna is a small island (about 1.75 square miles) off the West coast of Scotland, South of Oban. In the 19th century about 70 people lived there: the current resident population is 3, swelled by holiday-makers in summer. There is a castle, but not one of any long history: it was built in 1911, and fell into ruins by the end of the 1980s, partly because it had an inadequate flat roof which had become too costly to repair or replace. Two local stamps were issued in 1949 for the carriage of mail by boat to the mainland, at two old pence and £2. The former was for the ordinary boat service. The latter, shown here, was for a special boat chartered to take mail after the normal boat had left but still in time to catch the last mail collection of the day on the mainland.