Survey reveals high rate of pub closures

ONE in 20 pubs in Scotland are estimated to have not re-opened since the Covid-19 pandemic in March two years ago forced them to shut their doors for several months.

The finding has been released by trade organisation, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, which has also revealed that 40 per cent of pubs are employing fewer staff than they used to.

A SLTA survey has identified (here) a series of challenges facing the sector, including rising energy prices, saying that “nine in ten outlets will need government support to survive the winter”.

Pictured: a welcome relative newcomer to the scene – The Bullfinch, on Edinburgh’s Bath Road / Salamander Street, Picture credit: Place Design Scotland

Comments are welcome – only courteous ones (as per our T&Cs) – but they can only be posted by signed-in members. To sign up, for as little as £12 a year, please go here. Please note, comments appear following moderation (so expect a delay when submitting).