Queen of the Road: Is June Edinburgh’s Highest Mileage Road-user?

Courier travels to the moon and back twice for capital deliveries

Edinburgh is renowned for its difficult streets of cobbles, wynds and roadworks – but for a courier of 31 years they have provided a challenging, diverse and rewarding workplace.

June Dyer, 58, stakes a strong claim to have covered more miles within the Scottish capital than any other driver, including its many bus and taxi drivers – comfortably clocking over a million miles as part of her job.

Averaging 700 miles a week for Eagle Couriers, and approaching her 32^nd work anniversary with the firm, it is estimated that June has travelled around 1.04million miles, sufficient in and around Edinburgh to cover the distance to the moon and back twice.

June, who lives in Musselburgh, said: “I love driving and I love Edinburgh – so this job suits me to a tee. The day I wake up and struggle to find the motivation to work may be the day I choose to retire, but there is no sign of that happening any time soon.

“The biggest change as a courier is the sheer amount of traffic on the roads, it would be quite amazing to go back and see how it has all changed since day one – there was certainly less time spent waiting at traffic lights!”

That time spent with Scotland’s largest independent courier has seen the former Miss Lothian ‘76 involved in some exceptional jobs and experiences, which has including picking up Madonna’s wedding dress from Edinburgh Airport and transporting a lost dog to its owner.

A fellow driver once mistook June for having a heart attack, when attending to a troublesome SatNav parked up on one of the city’s busiest roads – sparking a flurry of emergency services to the scene to find a bemused driver.

Co-Director of Eagle Couriers, Fiona Deas, said: “June has been here since the start of Eagle Couriers when we were just a small operation based in Edinburgh.

“Successful companies are built around people like her and it is becoming increasingly rare to hear of staff staying in the same job or even profession for that length of time.

“She is a huge character and a pleasure to work with. It is quite staggering to think of the sheer number of miles she has clocked up, especially when you consider it is predominantly on Edinburgh’s difficult streets, not motorway cruising.”

From its headquarters in West Lothian and bases in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen Eagle Couriers has achieved the coveted ‘Investors in People’ status, has a fleet in excess of 120 vehicles and has a 20-strong office based team.