As the nation looks towards the Queen’s state funeral on Monday September 19 there will be serious disruption to services in Scotland’s capital as organisations and businesses close as a mark of respect.
The Queen passed away on Thursday 8 and her funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey next Monday. A bank holiday was declared for the event and in Scotland the 19 was already set as a bank holiday, meaning that services would be running at a reduced capacity or not at all.
Following the news that the funeral would take place, several businesses, organisations and charities have stated that they will refrain from opening their doors next week in order to allow staff to pay their respects.
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In order to keep you up to date with what is open and what is closed, we have compiled a list that breaks down a number of spaces that will be shut on Monday 19.
Supermarkets
Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose are among the supermarkets that have announced that they will close their doors next Monday. Large Tesco, Asda and Morrisons superstores will be closed for the day but their smaller stores will only close between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm - Iceland has yet to announce their plans.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In honour of Her Majesty and so our colleagues can pay their respects, all Sainsbury’s supermarkets and Argos stores will be closed on Monday, 19 th September.
"This includes Groceries Online and Argos Fast Track delivery. Our convenience stores and petrol filling stations will be open from 5pm-10pm to allow our customers to pick up essential items, while select stores in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. We thank our customers for their understanding.”
McDonald's
Fast food chain McDonald's also stated that their restaurants would be closed until 5:00pm on Monday 19 as a mark of respect. On Twitter, they shared: “All of our UK restaurants will be closed on Monday until 5pm, to allow everyone at McDonald’s to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
NHS services
The NHS has also stated that non-urgent appointments may be rearranged and that outpatient appointments may face a similar fate. An NHS Lothian spokesperson said: “As per standard public holiday arrangements, which were in place prior to the announcement of Her Majesty’s funeral due to the regional public holiday in Lothian, GP practices and many community pharmacies will be closed.
“We’d encourage anyone who needs a prescription to make arrangements to collect this before the weekend. If you’re booked in for a flu jab and/or a COVID-19 winter booster at a local pharmacy, the pharmacy should contact you directly if there are any changes to your appointment.
“Elective surgeries have not been scheduled for Monday and the majority of outpatient clinics will be closed. No winter vaccination appointments have been scheduled in community clinics for Monday, but some staff clinics will still be taking place on our sites.
“If you need urgent medical care over the bank holiday weekend, please contact NHS 24 on 111 for advice and help us keep A&E free for critical emergencies.”
Edinburgh Leisure
Edinburgh Leisure also stated that they would be cancelling all of their services and shutting centres across the capital. They said in a statement online: “All Edinburgh Leisure venues and services will be closed on Monday 19th September as a mark of respect to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“We believe this is the right thing to do for our employees and customers. Please accept our apologies for the disruption to your planned activities and any inconvenience caused. Our venues will be reopening on Tuesday 20th September.
“If you normally have a coaching class on a Monday your next direct debit will be amended to account for the cancellation of this class. If you have paid for a booked activity on Monday September 19 we will automatically refund you.”
Bus tours
Whilst Edinburgh Bus Tours said on Twitter: “Following the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, our Edinburgh Bus Tour operation is currently suspended & will resume on Friday September 16.
“Due to the Bank Holiday for the State Funeral, tours will not operate on Monday September 19 & will recommence on Tuesday 20.”
Libraries
Whereas the National Library of Scotland shared: “Our George IV Bridge building in Edinburgh reopens today. To mark the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, all our buildings and services will be closed on Monday 19 September.”
Universities
Students of Napier University, Queen Margaret and Edinburgh University will also see the institutions buildings close for the bank holiday. Napier Uni released a statement stating: “Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last week, a bank holiday has been announced on Mon 19 September for the Queen’s funeral.
“#EdNapier is observing the bank holiday and will close the University on Monday 19 September.”
Bars
Brewdog have also said that: “Out of respect for Her Majesty the Queen's funeral BrewDog Bars' opening hours have been adjusted for Monday September 19. All of our UK bars will be closed until 2:00pm.
"However, our central London locations will open their doors early only to allow people to use our toilets and baby change facilities free of charge. Trading in these bars will not commence until 2:00pm.
"Our hotels will remain open for hotel guests only."
Whereas smaller businesses are also expected to close as a mark of respect with Allan’s Bakery that is situated in the city centre posting: “Customers please note that Allan’s Bakery will be closed on Monday for the Edinburgh Public Holiday.”
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