Latest Column Posts

The Scottish winter sports sector could be viewed as a forgotten business victim of the pandemic, buried amongst various other businesses desperately trying to claw their way out of the piling mountains of debt.

I’m sure most of us can agree that the way we shop has changed to some extent over the past year.

As we slowly crawl towards the tail end of what has certainly been an eventful twelve months, I can safely say that I’m very much looking forward to the New Year and I’m certain I’m not alone in this. 

Back in January, Scotrail had introduced another price hike across many of its routes, whilst commuters were up in arms over the poor service, lack of carriages and infrequency of the trains.

Last week, saw the moment of the year everyone in the nation looks forward to – the release of all the festive ads.

Time with friends and extended family is something we have all been missing. Restrictions on meeting others inside our homes, and the closure of pubs and restaurants across large areas of the country, means many of us have gone weeks without enjoying the company of our loved ones.

According to Dorothy Gail in the Wizard of Oz, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’, and for 2020 in general, that certainly seems to be true.

As the last order bells fell silent and restaurants closed their doors once again on 9^th October, it’s safe to say that 2020 has not been the year for Scotland’s hospitality industry.

ALARMING figures published last week estimate that almost one million women in the UK - 78,000 of whom are in Scotland - have missed vital breast screening due to coronavirus.

Today officially marks the end of the triumphant ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme launched by the UK Government, to coax people out of lockdown and start spending again. Has it had the desired effect for the hospitality industry? You bet it has!