Deputy Business Editor A LEADING Edinburgh restaurateur has underlined the importance of protecting the “whole ecosystem of jobs” connected to Scotland’s crisis-hit hospitality sector as he unveiled a coronavirus funding package to support his business. James Thomson, who was awarded an OBE for services to hospitality and tourism in 2005, has sought to safeguard the future of Prestonfield House Hotel and The Witchery, on the Royal Mile, by securing a £2.5 million loan from his long-standing bank. The deal comes after the award-winning operator, who was just 20 when he founded The Witchery, closed his rooftop Tower Restaurant in central Edinburgh permanently in June, amid the difficulties arising from the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to not reopen the Tower Restaurant, located above the National Museum of Scotland, led to 37 redundancies.
James Thomson ONE of Edinburgh s most celebrated restaurateurs has secured a funding deal to help steer his prestigious venues through the hospitality crisis. James Thomson has agreed a £2.5 million coronavirus business interruption loan from Royal Bank of Scotland to support Prestonfield House Hotel and The Witchery on the Royal Mile. Both reopened last month following their temporary closure in October. Castlegate Investments, Mr Thomson’s company which owns the properties, has seen its weddings and events business severely impacted by the pandemic. It closed its Tower Restaurant, situated on the rooftop above the National Museum of Scotland, in June amid the fall-out from the crisis.