To have and hold funds to help wedding companies survive pandemic

Wedding firms across the Highlands and Islands are being encouraged to contact the Scottish Government Scottish Wedding Industry Fund to help them overcome the consequences of Covid-19.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise encourages eligible businesses in the area to prepare for applicant status with the Scots Wedding Industry Fund.

Carroll Buxton, Deputy General Managing Director of HIE, said: "The Highlands and Islands has always been a popular destination for weddings and the wedding industry is an integral part of our tourism and hospitality sector. With restrictions in place over the past year, many businesses whose main income is from weddings will have been hit hard by cancellations.

"At this extremely challenging time, the funding will be distributed in the order applications are received to ensure those businesses eligible for support are provided with it as efficiently as possible," says Carroll Buxton, associate chief executive at HIE.

Caroline Inchyra, co-founder of the Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance (SWIA), was quick to call for the private sector to take advantage of the funding chance.