A Lanarkshire pub has warned that it was facing calling time for good had Covid restrictions not been lifted today.
Restrictions saw the usually busy month of December decimated, with rules in place into this month and many in the industry on their knees.
But from today tougher restrictions are being eased in pubs and other hospitality venues and nightclubs can reopen, with figures showing a drop in Covid cases being recorded.
Social distancing rules at indoor venues and events are scrapped, the limits on the number of households allowed to meet indoors have also been lifted and punters will be able to order a drink while standing at a bar - with table service requirements for venues selling alcohol also scrapped.
The changes couldn't come soon enough for East Kilbride's Village Inn landlord, Paul Jardine, who told Lanarkshire Live that the popular venue wouldn't have been around much longer had restrictions remained in place.
"December ripped the heart out of us to be honest," said Paul.
"A really good month gets us through January and February but we lost a hell of a lot of money.
"Had restrictions not lifted now we wouldn't have survived much longer.
"All the hard work and plans we put in place for December, like our Hogmanay party, had to be cancelled. We lost so many group bookings before Christmas for work nights out and family celebrations and alike.
"Our Hogmanay party sold out in two days - over 200 tickets.
"But, unbelievably, most of out customers didn't want a refund - they wanted the money to go to staff and that's exactly what will happen. Our customers have been amazing through all this.
"It's been such an incredibly frustrating time - especially when you saw what was happening in England over the festive period, with practically no restrictions in place."
Now Paul said he and his staff will do all they can to push ahead and rebuild.
"I really hope that we are turning a corner after what was a horrendous two months and nearly two years," he added.
"We all understand it's a pandemic but now we have no option, financially, but to forge ahead while keeping everyone as safe as possible, like we always do.
"I now have to go back to trading as close to normally as possible. It's really just the rules around the wearing of facemasks that are still in place, so fingers crossed that we are seeing a ray of sunshine after a horrendous time for everyone.
"We have some great things planned for the year ahead with some fantastic live bands booked and can't wait to get all of our customers back."
Meanwhile a spokesman for No 2 Montgomery restaurant and bar in EK Village, which only opened its doors last summer, said: "The loosening of restrictions couldn’t have come soon enough.
"Back in December Nicola Sturgeon commented that the hospitality industry just took a “sucker punch” but that was an understatement. We were operating at capacity for the first two weeks of December before the restrictions came back.
"We saw daily cancellations after the Scottish public was warned to postpone work Christmas gatherings averaging at 30 guests per day.
"This had a knock on effect for the remaining guests who did turn up to a half empty venue that lacked the same atmosphere we had seen just days before."
He added: "We had very large plans for the festive trade which we hoped was going to make up for short falls in revenue predicted in January and February which are historically difficult for hospitality.
"We had applied for a permit to operate a Christmas market with street stalls selling gourmet food, hot drinks with and without alcohol, Christmas trees and more.
"This had support of local politicians Dr Lisa Cameron and Collette Stevenson, Police Scotland and East Mains Community Council. Now we just need to hope we can survive to next Christmas to bring all these ideas to life."
The venue said they also never received any Covid relief funding despite an "an unnecessary wild goose chase" to access help and that they believed the recent restrictions were "over the top".
And the Auldhouse Arms, who pleaded with customers to continue to support them last month and honour bookings after government warnings over festive socialising, have posted that they will be back their normal opening hours.
They posted: "It’s great to see Scotland safely lifting the recent Covid restrictions! Hopefully things are now going in the right direction for 2022."
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