Edinburgh's guest houses are starved of business by Covid rules but don't qualify for financial support

Guest houses and bed-and-breakfasts in Edinburgh say they are being starved of custom under the current Covid restrictions but are denied any government support.

Ross Birnie was refused a £1,400 a month 'business restrictions grant' for 23 Mayfield

Ross Birnie, who runs the five-star 23 Mayfield guest house in Newington with his wife Kathleen, said almost all their bookings had been cancelled because the Level 3 restrictions which apply in the Capital ban people from travelling to the city from outside.

But because they are not required to close, businesses like his do not qualify for the financial help of up to £3,000 a month on offer to pubs and other venues.

And he says he was also turned down for a business restrictions grant of £1,400 a month, even though hotels are eligible for it.

Guest houses like 23 Mayfield are missing out on financial support

"We appealed and they told us it was not for guest houses and B&Bs. Why should hotels get it and we don't?

"We have basically been closed down by not allowing our guests to travel to us.

"As soon as the Level 3 announcement was made the phone just rang with cancellation after cancellation.

"This month we have one booking; December and January we have nothing ahead; and February we've got the rugby but who knows what's going to happen there.

"We're open just in case we get a phone call - we're still having to pay all the bills and unfortunately the banks are not being as helpful as they were at the start."

Mr Birnie, who has two sons, Alfie, eight, and Ethan, seven, said he was worried how long he could survive without financial help.

"As a guest house we're not just a business, this is our family home as well so we could lose a business and our home at the same time."

He said it would almost be better to have the tougher restrictions of Level 4.

"At least you'd get support – in Level 2 you can get some business, Level 4 you get support, but in Level 3 you’re left in limbo. And I'm told if we were in England in the equivalent tier we would get support.”

Edinburgh Southern Labour MSP Daniel Johnson said the Scottish Government should urgently review its business support packages to make sure businesses like B&Bs remained afloat. “The government is failing to recognise the consequences of it own policies,” he said.

Mr Johnson recently raised the plight of guest houses and B&Bs with Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing in the Scottish Parliament. Mr Ewing said the government was “absolutely committed to providing assistance to businesses that require lifeline support”.

But Mr Johnson said: “The pledge he gave has proven to be worthless given Mr Birnie’s experience.”

A government spokesman said: “We are doing everything we can with the powers we have to help businesses, offering support which now exceeds £2.3 billion, and we also establishing a £30 million discretionary fund to enable local authorities to provide additional support for businesses where they consider that necessary. The Scottish Government is working closely with local authorities in developing these funds and further details will be announced shortly.”

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