Free Bottle of Wine? That’s £753 to you, sir.

New licensing regulations have been introduced into Scotland, and they are going down like a lead balloon, particularly in the tourism sector.     The smallest businesses are being hit inappropriately hard by a whole raft of stupid and pointless regulations.

Everywhere that sells alcohol now comes under the new licensing scheme.   The scheme is extremely expensive to comply with, and requires architects’ plans of buildings where alcohol is to be sold.     It has produced some astonishing effects, and the regulations are being interpreted differently depending on who your local Council is.

I was supplying the very occasional complimentary bottle of locally produced sparkling wine for our guests celebrating a special occasion perhaps, or coming to stay out of the main tourism season.     This free bottle of wine now turns out to be a sale of alcohol.    If I am to continue, I will have to get a Personal Licence, attend a training course, and possibly obtain a Premises Licence as well.    Cost was quoted as £577 (one off payment) plus £176 every year.    Not to mention the cost of getting plans drawn up to an acceptable specification.     It is an outrageous imposition by government for businesses  who sell very little alcohol.    And exactly how much training is involved to tell me how to put a bottle of wine in a fridge?

And presumably a plan would have to show the location of the property, the location of the kitchen, and the location of the fridge in the kitchen.    In case the alcohol police look in the washing machine perhaps?    Just how dim are the inspectors?    Perhaps they need a plan of the inside of the fridge to keep them right.

So, no more free wine.    I simply cannot take the risk that my guests will walk half a mile into our local village and hang about causing bother and getting ASBOs left, right and centre after a couple of glasses of fizz.    They will get local honey instead, which is probably OK until the food police turn up.

The new licensing regulations are a nonsense, and a disgraceful performance from a nationalist-led government which was supposed to be lighter on business regulation than the last lot in charge.