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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!

Normality is slowly creeping its way back into our lives and we’re starting to take the very first steps back to a pre-lockdown era we enjoyed back in January. 

Like many Scottish businesses, our charities have found themselves under the huge strain of the Coronavirus pandemic, especially when relying on fundraising events and public engagement to fund their work.

The outbreak of Covid-19 has affected us all - so much so, that experts believe we could be on the brink of a major mental health crisis. During this time of great uncertainty, anxiety levels have been consistently high. Worries around health, isolation and job security are at the forefront of...

If you had asked any of us at the start of the year whether a fortnight’s holiday staying in sunny Scotland was on the cards, I am sure many of us would have laughed and dismissed the notion immediately in favour of much warmer, drier climes.