Scottish Licensed Trade News

16/01/2026

Is your bar braced for Burns? Will your pub get poetic? Because when chapman billies leave the street, drouthy neebors, neebors meet...

Whether through straight drams, food pairings or cocktails, events celebrating Scotland's Bard have scope to grow whisky sales

16/01/2026

Licensees! if you have a minute or two spare, help your trade body back up its arguments with facts!

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association is inviting all licensees to take part in our Business Impact Survey on the Winter Season and the continuing extreme and unprecedented challenges that operators face.
Your responses will provide us with a barometer of up-to-date information on the current state of the industry that we can use to continue to push for meaningful Government action and support for Scotland’s Licensed Hospitality Trade. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KJTCFWH

16/01/2026

Another new recruit for the Dark Side!
Molson Coors Caffrey's Black

Caffrey’s Black Stout has been launched at 3.4% ABV, below the 4.2% of Guinness and its challenger, Heineken UK’s Murphy’s at 4.0%

16/01/2026

The build up to Burns Night begins here! It's the bump start that January needs!
Duck & Waffle Edinburgh

The St James Quarter restaurant promises ‘playful' versions of classic Scottish dishes and dram-worthy moments celebrating the national bard

15/01/2026

By mid-February, I'll be more than ready for a day spent going between the sauna, the plunge pool and the Waterside bar...
The Waterside

Following a £3million development at West Kilbride, the hospitality group is to open Si! Spa at The Waterside on Tuesday 17th February

15/01/2026

Choose Midlothian!
The Original Rosslyn Inn

15/01/2026

Might this be a perfect opportunity in Highland Perthshire?
Atholl Arms Hotel, Blair Atholl
Christie & Co

Situated at the base of the Cairngorms National Park, the Atholl Arms Hotel is a grand 19th-century railway hotel and pub-restaurant

15/01/2026

The distillery produces two core expressions – the unpeated Man O’ Words, named for Scotland’s bard, and the peated Man O’ Sword, named in honour of Robert the Bruce...
Annandale Distillery

The original distillery ceased production in 1918 – until its new owners professor David Thomson and Teresa Church came along in 2007

14/01/2026

A disappointment – but given the recent run of political decisions affecting the industry, possibly not a surprise...

NTIA The Scottish Licensed Trade Association UKHospitality Scottish Tourism Alliance Scottish Hospitality Group

ScotGov avoided outright condemnation by including 15% business rates relief for hospitality businesses on basic or intermediate poundage

14/01/2026

A fascinating legal look at life in the licensing bubble around airports...
TLT LLP

Whilst premises ‘airside’ are exempt from the requirement of a premises licence, this does not mean licensing offences cannot be committed

14/01/2026

“I didn’t think it could get worse than the Tories, with how bad they were to hospitality, with all these small little nails in the coffin. I hoped that Rachel Reeves would come in and relieve some of that. And then she came in with the biggest coffin nail of all..."
The Boar's Head Fife, Restaurant & Pub

Multiple-time SLTN Award-winner shines a stark light on the challenges faced by Scottish hospitality businesses going into 2026

14/01/2026

Richly deserved...

The Pot Still