The Lido Community Shop and Innellan Post Office is situated in the beautiful village of Innellan on the western shore of the Firth of Clyde roughly 4 miles south of the ferry port town of Dunoon.  We are the only community owned shop and post office in the Cowal area and support the villages of Innellan and Toward and surrounding rural areas along Loch Striven.  Residents of the more remote areas of the Cowal Peninsula would face a round trip of roughly 34 miles to access the nearest shops and post office were it not for the continued survival of the Innellan facility.

A Bit of History

The shop and post office are a central and important part of the community. This was demonstrated when the whole community came together to form South Cowal Community Enterprises Limited (a community benefit society) to purchase the shop and save this vital asset. We began operating under the new ownership structure as of December 2019. There used to be 14 shops in Innellan, so we are the last shop still open in the village! Our community buyout was funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Community Land Fund. We also offered shares to the community and over 340 people are now shareholders and members.

The community buyout happened just before the Covid pandemic which meant a lot of hard work and dedication to stay open and to keep our community supplied with essentials during that very difficult time.  Despite the various hurdles, the business continues to survive due to the wonderful support from our local community and due to the commitment and work of our amazing staff and volunteers, and our Management Committee.

Above the shop and post office is a 3-bedroom upper flat which was included as part of the community buyout of the building, and which has since been developed as a separate short-term-let business operating as Pedals and Paddles. This has been a great asset for tourists to the area and for locals who need an over-flow for family guests and has also been used in the winter months for small workshops and wellness gatherings.

Our Shop Goods

We use as many local suppliers as possible to showcase the amazing products that are available here on our doorstep. We highlight much of our produce and services on Facebook to advertise our fresh meats, fish, and vegetables alongside savoury pies, baked goods, sandwich rolls and hearty soup and quality ice creams for when the temperature rises a bit! Then, whether it's a latte, a newspaper, a local jam or honey, a stamp, personal banking, a nice bottle of wine, car ferry tickets, or just treating yourself to a bar of chocolate, we have all that and much, much more. The shop also provides display shelves for our local crafters and artisans if you are looking for unique gift ideas.

We are always focusing on identifying ways to expand our community services, stocking even more local produce, being mindful of reducing our carbon footprint (we have already invested in energy saving fridge freezers) and we try to keep a range of both affordable items and speciality food items.  We are always open to exploring new ideas that we could accommodate to expand our services.

A warm welcome is always guaranteed, any help you need, a chat, and taking the time to make you feel as important as you are, is embedded in the DNA of our business.

We also want your feedback and suggestions as we move forward! Please talk to staff or use the feedback cards we have in-store.

 

Opening hours

We are a licensed grocers and our opening hours are:

Monday to Friday 7.30am – 6pm
Saturdays 8.00am – 6pm
Sundays 8:30am – 5pm (subject to longer hours in summer months)

 

The Post Office opening hours are:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday – 9:00am – 5:30pm

Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday 9:00am – 1:pm