Covid: Edinburgh's pubs still have problems but things seem to be looking up – Steve Cardownie

The relaxation of Covid rules in Scotland has met with a mixed reaction from some sectors, particularly the pub trade which believes that it has not gone far enough.

Pub-goers seemed to be obeying the Covid rules and to be content to do so, Steve Cardownie found (Picture: John Devlin)

This led me to conduct my own research in the form of a fact-finding mission which entailed visiting several watering holes in the city centre.

I chose Rose Street as my crucible given that it had a fair number of outlets, most of which had embraced the challenge of Covid by either extending or opening outside seating areas.

On speaking to members of staff, they generally seemed happy as they compared today’s rules with those that were previously imposed, opining that although it was a small step, at least it was in the right direction.

Many said that sell-isolation rules were wreaking havoc on staff rotas, with employees suddenly informing management that they would be out of commission for ten days, leading to staff shortages and a detrimental impact on service.

Sitting outside I took the opportunity to engage fellow patrons in conversation, a great number of whom had come from across the border and who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves (at least until my intervention, I hear you say.)

They were not concerned that the pubs were closing earlier than their counterparts in England although they, like me, failed to see the logic of such a distinction.

All-in-all people were obeying the rules, wearing masks when they visited the toilet and such, and seemed content to conform as long as they could enjoy a pint of draught or a glass of wine and a pub lunch.

More research required methinks!

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.