The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fears for industry as Tayside and Fife see pub trade decline
Across Scotland there are 455 fewer bars in business than 10 years ago
Pubs in Tayside and Fife have been closing at a faster rate than the national average.
Last year the number of small pubs and bars in Britain increased slightly for the first time in 15 years – by 85 – but according to data from the Office of National Statistics across Scotland there are 455 fewer bars than a decade ago and 760 fewer than in 2001.
Among the pubs that have closed in recent months include Drouthy Fox in Dunfermline, The Green Room in Perth and Westport Bar in Dundee.
Fife has seen the largest decline of 25% in Courier Country since 2009. The national rate is 13.8%. Dundee (16.7%) and Perth and Kinross (21.1%) were well above this.
Only Angus has seen a below-average fall in the last decade, with 6.3%.
The worst hit area in Scotland is the Orkney Islands, which has lost half of its pubs since 2009.
Paul Waterson, spokesman for the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said a number of factors have had a detrimental effect.
He said: “For many years we’ve seen a lot of pubs in Scotland closing.
“There’s a whole host of reasons why, going back to the smoking ban, which we never really recovered from, and the drink-driving changes.
“And the latest business rates have hit the trade really hard.
“Off-sales make up most alcohol sales now, and most of that is supermarkets who have been essentially giving it away to get people in their doors.
“Rural areas have been hit particularly hard, where a pub really can be the heart of a community. Hotels, restaurants and pubs can be the saviour of a lot of high streets. If something isn’t done soon we will lose the industry.”
Colin Boyle, membership secretary of Fife Licensed Trade Association, said business rates is one of the main issues.
He said: “Some owners are paying more in business rates than they are paying themselves.
“Compared to other businesses, the rates are astronomical and each place that closes is more jobs lost. ”
Sandy Brown, 81, will often spend an afternoon in a Dundee city centre pub for a tipple with his wife Margaret.
He said: “There used to be a lot more in the city. If you were going to meet someone, you would meet them in a bar but I think there is less of that now.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said:“Local pubs play an important social role in many communities across Scotland, which is why we are supporting town centres – including pubs – as they face the challenge of changing... customer patterns.”
Agood pub is often the heart of a community, particularly in small towns and villages with tight knit communities. It is sad to see any bar close, leaving a gap in town centres and losing jobs.
But with more rules being rightly tightened, such as the smoking ban and drink driving, it is easy to see why more people are choosing to stay at home.
Support your local pub and enjoy the benefits they bring, but do so safely.