The final two weeks on the high street for Woolworths were mapped out yesterday as administrators released a schedule of closures.

The doors to the retailer, which launched in the UK nearly a century ago, will begin closing on December 27.

Stores in Scotland closing that day include one in Glasgow's Dumbarton Road, Aberdeen, Arbroath, Ayr, Berwick Upon Tweed, Clydebank, Corstorphine, Dundee, Dunoon, Falkirk, Fraserburgh, Greenock, Kirkintilloch, Kirkwall, Lanark, Leith, North Berwick, Prestwick, and Stornoway.

Among those closing on December 29 are stores in Airdrie, Alloa, Bathgate, Blairgowrie, Boness, Brechin, Broughty Ferry, Campbeltown, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Dalkeith, Dingwall, Douglas, Edinburgh, Elgin, Forfar, Fort William, Girvan, Keswick, Largs, Leven, Lochee, Mastrick, Musselburgh, Nairn, Oban, Peterhead, Port Glasgow, Rothesay, Saltcoats, Stranraer, Thurso, Troon, Ulverston, Wick and Wishaw.

Among the final stores closing on January 5 are the last four in Glasgow's west end, south side and centre, those in Dumbarton, Dumfries, East Kilbride, Eastwood, Edinburgh (Big W), Glenrothes, Hamilton, Helensburgh, Inverness, Irvine, Johnstone, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Montrose, Motherwell, Perth, Rutherglen, St Andrews and Stirling.

Administrators confirmed last week that all Woolworths stores would close, at the likely cost of 27,000 jobs, after failing to secure a buyer for the business.

Meanwhile, another high-street retail chain was on the brink of administration last night after a period of poor sales left it struggling.

Whittard of Chelsea, the tea and coffee retailer, has lined up Ernst and Young as administrators, a source close to the company confirmed.

"Whittard is struggling at the moment just like everyone else," a source confirmed.

The news came as new shopping figures released yesterday showed the hoped for pre-Christmas rush may be yet to materialise.

The final weekend before Christmas saw the number of shoppers down by 8.7% compared with last year, found market researcher Experian.

So-called footfall - the number of customers going through the doors - for the week starting December 15 is down by between 10% and 15%, and is on course to be the worst week of the pre-Christmas period. "The overall week's figures will probably be the most disappointing in the pre-Christmas weeks so far," said Experian.