Scottish weather expected to be kind as pubs reopen beer gardens
Dry weather is expected on Monday as pubs, cafes and restaurants reopen outdoor areas in Scotland for the first time since March.
The Met Office said the Scottish weather was not expected to spoil long-awaited trips to beer gardens, although Nicola Sturgeon warned that going for a drink should “not feel the same” as it did before lockdown.
Those visiting bars will have to leave their contact details with staff, with two metre distancing to be observed initially. While pubs reopened indoor areas in England on Saturday, those in Scotland will not be allowed to reopen indoors until July 15.
“We think it’s going to be drier than the weekend, when there were heavy showers,” Greg Dewhurst, a forecaster at the Met Office, said. “On Monday, it looks to be mostly dry with sunny spells. Perhaps Shetland and Orkney might see a bit of rain.
“The wind should be lighter than Sunday as well, but will still be on the fresh side, with maximum temperatures 15 to 16 degrees.”
Some planning regulations are also being temporarily relaxed to help Scottish hospitality businesses make better use of outdoor spaces. However, some will choose to remain closed until July 15.
Nicola Sturgeon visited the Cold Town House in Edinburgh to see new safety measures put in place to protect against the spread of coronavirus. While a two metre rule will have to be observed initially, this will be reduced to one metre for hospitality venues once additional rules are drawn up.
Ms Sturgeon said: "I hope that as we take these first gradual steps out of lockdown people will begin to feel more of the sense of normality that we have worked so hard for - although it is important to remember that the virus has not gone away so we cannot get complacent.
"No beer garden or cafe should feel the same as it did before. The vast majority of the hospitality industry will be following the rules and putting in place new procedures to help control the virus."
While some self-contained holiday accommodation opened last week, residents in the Highlands said there was not a large surge of visitors at the weekend.
Roads were quiet and beauty spot car parks deserted despite the limited opening of accommodation and, on Friday, the lifting of an advisory five mile travel limit.
At the House of Bruar, known as the Harrods of the Highlands, where Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cornwall sometimes shop, there was a smattering of mainly local people, many wearing face masks, in the extensive shopping arenas which cover a square kilometre. The site, a magnet for holiday-makers, is normally thronged on summer weekends.
Manager Taran Baker said: “Things are definitely opening up more slowly here than down south. The weather this weekend hasn’t helped - people are worried about the virus - and they also worry about having to queue outside in the rain, although they haven’t had to do that here.”
Chris Low from nearby Pitlochry stopped at the outdoor food market after walking her dogs, two Labradors and a Vizsla, at the nearby Falls of Bruar.
She said: “Nicola Sturgeon is moving at a snail’s pace. It’s terrible for business - all the souvenir shops are open in Pitlochry and Perth but there is nobody in them. There are very few tourists around.
"Of course the different regulations in Scotland will put people from England off coming up here. And a lot of the things they come for won't be open, like Pitlochry Festival Theatre. There is not much for people to do if the weather is bad.”
