The Orkney Area Licensing Board has given the green light for pubs, restaurants, and other venues selling alcohol on-premises in the county to do so for longer during the King’s Coronation weekend.
In honour of the events, the UK government has announced a three-day coronation weekend, which will include an additional bank holiday on Monday, May 8.
During a meeting this week, Orkney’s licensing board backed recommendations that said all on-sale premises in Orkney can, on that weekend:
- Sell alcohol until 1.30am overnight between Saturday, May 6 and Sunday May 7
- Sell until half past midnight on the night between Sunday, May 7 and the following Monday morning
- Sell until midnight on the night of Monday, May 8
These mean an extra half hour of drinking on the evening of Saturday, May 6, and another half-an-hour for the evening of Sunday, May 7.
Those seeking a temporary licence to sell alcohol would still have to apply to do so for the coronation weekend.
Arrangements like this have been made before, for example during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
No objections came to the proposals, from Police Scotland or the licensing standards officer.
This blanket extension of hours during the King’s Coronation was the board’s preferred option of three.
The other two options would have seen on-sale premises granted no extension at all or have to apply for an extension to that sales times.
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