Edinburgh Corn Exchange plans 'city's biggest' beer garden in car park

It is being planned to open when lockdown restrictions ease.

The Edinburgh Corn Exchange has revealed plans for the city’s ‘biggest beer garden’ as soon as lockdown restrictions allow.

The beer garden, which is still in the planning stage, will be opened in the car park of the venue.

Strict social distancing guidelines will be in place, and there will be limits on numbers at any one time.

The Corn Exchange is planning to host Edinburgh's largest beer garden. Picture: Edinburgh Corn Exchange

The free-to-enter garden will be open seven days a week, while a food market will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Organisers plan for large televisions to show sporting events, as well as ping pong, darts and mini golf on offer.

All equipment will be sanitised between uses.

Managing Director Paul Demarco believes the venue is in a good position with regard to bathroom facilities, as it can accommodate up to 3,000 people under normal circumstances.

There are around 70 toilets and he does not expect that many more people than that will be admitted at any one time.

“We’ve drawn up a risk assessment, we’re just waiting to hear about re-opening from the Scottish government,” said Mr Demarco.

“Because we’ve got so much space we think we can create a safe social distancing area.”

He added: “With so many toilets we can provide safe toilet management, and with a small amount of people we can make it really safe.

Mr Demarco said he expected the social distancing and hygiene measures to be ‘quite time consuming’, but that the company is prepared for that.

“We have to plan it, that’s very important,” he said.

The venue is well-known for its large-scale events, including Christmas parties, the Big Big Gin Festival and the Edinburgh Wedding Fair.

“The events are going to be the hardest thing to return to, we’d really like more guidance from the government on that,” said Mr Demarco.

“But in the meantime we’re going to open a beer garden. We’re going to do it the Corn Exchange way and it’s going to be brilliant.”

Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open outdoor spaces with social distancing and hygiene precautions in place once Scotland enters Phase 2 of lockdown easing.

Outdoor markets will also be allowed at this stage.

Nicola Sturgeon said on Monday that she was ‘optimistic’ that the country may be able to enter Phase 2 on June 18.