Duke of Westminster fights for phonebox
28th October 2008
Campaign for a black and white phonebox on the duke of westminster estate
The Duke of Westminster - Britain's biggest landowner and one of its wealthiest men, is campaigning to save a rarely used black and white telephone box outside his remote Scottish estate in Achfary.
The Duke of Westminster, who is godfather to Prince William and was named as the UK's third richest man in 2008 is a regular visitor to his remote Highland sporting estate.
The phone box was converted to accept card payments only two years ago and is now due to be removed by British Telecoms as part of a "thinning out" process.
Although there are a few black kiosks in active use, the one at Achfary is believed to be the only one that is totally black and white. BT have said that more than 61 per cent of its 5, 883 Scottish payphones are unprofitable, with this particular telephone box having just three paying customers last year. Highland Council is also objecting this removal of what they also believe to the only completely black and white phone box in the UK.
In a statement issued by Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor's community-run Sutherland Partnership, the Duke of Westminster said the booth is vital for hillwalkers because there is no mobile phone signal within a six-mile radius of the Reay Forest location and the next closest pay phone is 10 miles away.
