Four Scottish breweries have been listed as having closed in three months.

The breweries which were located across the country closed amid “high taxation and rising raw ingredients costs squeezing the already fine margins”, trade organisation the Society of Independent Brewers said.

SIBA said breweries north of the Border “struggled with a closure rate of four, with 129 breweries in Scotland as of the end of September as opposed to 133 at the end of June”.

It said Hidden Lane Organic Brewery in Glasgow, Suspect Brewing in Edinburgh, Inner Bay Brewery in Fife and Mad Bush in Aberdeen count towards the third quarter closures.

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker takes into account all brewery openings and closures to give an accurate picture of the number of active brewing businesses, the organisation said.

Neil Walker, SIBA head of communications, said: “Demand for beer from independent breweries has never been higher from consumers, but access to market and profitability are still big challenges for small brewers all across the UK, with high taxation and rising raw ingredients costs squeezing the already fine margins most independent breweries are working with.

“In short small breweries need your support so next time you’re in the pub or supermarket opt for an independent beer from a local brewery and help to keep local breweries and pubs alive.”

The latest figures show the total number of active UK breweries now stands at 1721, compared to 1748 at the end of June.

However, SIBA said the closure rate overall across the UK slowed in the third quarter of 2024 with two regions, south west England and Wales, seeing growth of two and one respectively.

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker is compiled by a team of professional staff employed by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates and is cross-referenced by SIBA regional directors in each of the eight SIBA Regions across the UK. The organisation "considers a number of factors and data-sources alongside its own data analysis and extensive research and has become the go-to reference for accurate, up-to-date brewery numbers in the UK".

Scotland's chief entrepreneur quits, citing right wing attacks

The chief entrepreneurial advisor to the Scottish Government has quit the role, citing the “draining” effects of right-wing attacks.

Mark Logan was a high-profile recruit by Kate Forbes, now Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, in 2020, when she hired the former Skyscanner executive to review Scotland’s technology ecosystem.

Mr Logan, who helped build Edinburgh-based Skyscanner into one of Scotland's first tech “unicorns”, authored the Scottish Technology System Review and has since remained with the Scottish Government, working on entrepreneurial policy.

However, he has come under scrutiny for the level of remuneration he receives for the role. Mr Logan was initially appointed on a salary of £192,000 to work eight days per month for two years, leading some to question the value of his work. His contract was extended by First Minister John Swinney when he succeeded Humza Yousaf earlier this year.

Airline launches new flight to seaside resort from Scottish airport

Loganair has announced an expansion of services from Glasgow by adding a flight to Newquay in 2025.

The flight will go directly from Glasgow Airport to Newquay on Saturday afternoons with flights available from May until September 2025.

It’s the latest flight added by the UK’s largest regional airline provider and will allow Scots to get seaside town in the south of England much quicker.

The direct flights will be priced from £89.99 one way and includes all luggage whether it is in the hold or cabin baggage.