Getting Christmas presents off to family members and friends can often be a stressful part of the festive period.
Once you have picked out the ideal gift for them, it’s then a case of either passing them over on the day or dropping them off a few days before.
But for family members on the opposite ends of the country or elsewhere in the world, sending them off via the post is the only option available.
Using this method shortens the window to buy presents, with Scots being urged to have everything wrapped up by the middle of December - meaning those Christmas Eve trips to the shops should be very much off the cards.
And for those of us who like to take things right down to the wire, Royal Mail has published a list of the recommended posting dates to ensure that those Christmas presents get over to loved ones in time for December 25.
The delivery firm has warned that Scots should allow plenty of time for posting amid ongoing Covid restrictions and weather conditions.
Royal Mail said that both factors are having an impact on the number of vehicles and planes available to deliver goods to customers.
When are the final dates for deliveries inside the UK?
Royal Mail said that customers sending post through 2nd Class should send their packages away by Saturday, December 18 - this also applies to 2nd Class Signed For and Royal Mail 48 services.
First Class parcels should be fired away on Tuesday, December 21 - with the same date in place for signed for, Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48.
Gifts being sent through Royal Mail’s Tracked 24 service can be posted on Wednesday, December 22.
And products with the Special Delivery Guaranteed service can be sent off on Thursday, December 23.
What are the final dates for worldwide delivery?
Royal Mail has also published a list of recommended dates for International Standard and International Tracking and Signature services.
The dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, December 1 - Caribbean
- Monday, December 6 - Australia, Greece, Italy, New Zealand and Portugal
- Wednesday, December 8 - Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Far and Middle East
- Friday, December 10 - Cyprus, Malta, Sweden
- Saturday, December 11 - Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia), Turkey
- Monday, December 13 - Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland and USA
- Thursday, December 16 - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
When will the normal service resume?
Royal Mail will continue normal service all the way up to Thursday, December 23 before turning to an ‘eve’ service on collection on Christmas Eve.
No deliveries or collection with take place between Christmas Day and December 28.
The normal service will resume from Wednesday, December 29.
