Although RM rates are the same , courier rates are not .....

It is also easy for a seller to tick the exclusion box re Highlands and Islands in error when setting up buyer requirements ....did this myself despite the fact that I should know better as I lived in Scotland for some years ...

Another reason is that some sellers list a variety of items , some courier , some RM . Occasionally sellers do make errors ( they are human after all ) and you can bet your bottom dollar that some buyers will exploit this error , demanding sellers to post bulky items that need to be couriered to far flung places. Any seller that has made a silly error will not wish to repeat it ...much easier to exclude instead.

However as a buyer you can contact the seller to ask for an exemption if the item is listed with postage by RM. The seller may appreciate the info if they have excluded in error or even in ignorance ...