I felt a real pang in my gut when I read about The Riddrie Pub Company folding. It’s not just a business going under, is it? It’s another wee bit of Glasgow’s soul, another community hub, flickering out. The Princess Bar, on Smithycroft Road, was where this company was listed, and I imagine for many folk in Riddrie, it was more than just a place to grab a pint. It was a proper local.
This isn’t an isolated incident, not by a long shot. I’ve been watching the hospitality sector struggle for what feels like an age now. The cost of everything has gone through the roof, from the price of a keg to the electricity bill just to keep the lights on and the heating humming, especially in a Scottish winter. It’s a battle, day in and day out, for these businesses to keep their heads above water.
The official figures paint a stark picture, mind you. In January 2026, there were 74 company insolvencies registered across Scotland. That’s a lot of dreams shattered, a lot of livelihoods impacted. A good chunk of those, 42 of them, were creditors’ voluntary liquidations, and another 32 were compulsory liquidations. That means businesses just couldn’t carry on, or were forced to close their doors. I’m not surprised, given what I hear from folk trying to run small businesses these days. It reminds me of the broader financial squeeze on our public services, a problem I’ve touched on before when talking about how local councils are running out of money.
Our pubs, especially the traditional ones, are cornerstones of our communities. They’re where folk meet up, share a laugh, mourn a loss, celebrate a win. They’re places for impromptu ceilidhs, for a quiet dram after a long week, for catching up on the local gossip. They’re part of what makes Scotland, well, Scotland. And when they disappear, something vital goes with them.
I think about the ripple effect, too. It’s not just the pub owner and their staff. It’s the brewery, the crisps supplier, the cleaning company, the local taxi drivers who rely on folk having a good night out. It’s a whole ecosystem that starts to crumble when these places can no longer manage. It makes me wonder what our politicians are doing to genuinely help. The discussions around Scottish politics, power, and the path forward often feel a million miles away from the everyday struggles of a pub landlord in Riddrie.
The truth is, running a pub in Scotland today is an incredibly tough gig. You’re competing with cheap supermarket booze, changing social habits, and the constant pressure of rising costs. Energy bills, particularly, have been a killer. I know people who’ve seen their bills double, even triple, and that’s just not sustainable for a small business with tight margins. There’s only so much you can put up the price of a pint before your customers just stop coming in.
I often hear talk about supporting local businesses, and it sounds grand on paper, but I sometimes feel like the reality on the ground is very different. We need more than just platitudes. We need concrete action, support that actually makes a difference to the folk trying to keep these vital community spaces alive. I look at the work the Scottish Government is doing, and I hope they are truly listening to the cries for help from the hospitality sector. More information on government support can be found on the Scottish Government’s website.
It’s a worrying trend, and one I think we should all be paying close attention to. If we don’t, I reckon we’ll wake up one day to find our high streets emptier, our communities quieter, and a big piece of our national character diminished. It’s not just about losing a place to drink; it’s about losing a place to belong. And that, to me, is a tragedy. What will our towns and cities look like if the beating heart of the local pub stops altogether? It’s a question that keeps me up at night. The upcoming Holyrood election in 2026 will be a chance for voters to consider which parties truly grasp the challenges faced by businesses and communities across Scotland.
Source: Herald Scotland
