Royal Mail this week owned up to an identity crisis in Muchalls after giving the village a postbox bearing the English crown instead of a Scottish one.

I spotted the error and contacted the company. I saw the shiny red postbox at the end of Dunnyfell Road and the mistake just shouted at me. I know some people think this is of no consequence, but out history is important. To have the wrong crown on a Scottish postbox is unfortunate, and indeed insensitive to our history.

The Scottish crown has been used on postboxes north of the border following protests over the Elizabeth II insignia being introduced in 1952. After EIIR postboxes appeared in Scotland there was an outcry from nationalists because the new queen was the first Elizabeth to rule over the United Kingdom.

When the first EIIR postbox was unveiled in Edinburgh it was daubed in tar. The following year it was blown up. Many others were vandalised. In 1953 it was decided that to avoid further trouble, new postboxes would instead display the Scottish crown.

So I was surprised to see the wrong insignia on the Muchalls box, and wondered if standards had slipped since Royal Mail was privatised.

But no. I am told it was an error by a new engineer. Apparently engineers are being briefed to ensure this does not happen again.