Waterproof coats, jumpers, blankets and umbrellas were all must-haves as Aberdeen’s bars and restaurants opened up for the Bank Holiday weekend.
And while everyone had hoped for dry weather, a little rain wasn’t enough to put people off visiting their favourite hospitality venues across the city.
Nine of the most Instagrammable beer gardens in the north-east
Thousands of people have made the trip into Aberdeen city centre as the May holiday coincides with the first weekend of lockdown restrictions being eased.
Picture taken in the city centre show small groups sticking to social distancing rules along Union Street as bars make the most of their temporary outdoor marquees.
Staff at venues across the city have been working hard to make sure both customers and the establishments themselves stick to the strict Covid rules that remain in place.
This weekend also marked the launch of the Backyard Beach Collective.
Created by the team behind the Staxx project, half a dozen food retailers have set up shop in huts near Codona’s.
This place is amazing! 😍 The backyard beach collective next to Codonas! 👏🏻🍹 Also managed to dodge the rain ☀️ #supportlocal #beautifulabdn pic.twitter.com/Kcwf7exNhW
— Lauren Mitchell 🌻 (@RadioLoz) May 1, 2021
More than 1,300 customers had pre-booked for the bank holiday weekend, with almost 3,500 reservations made for May.
Beer gardens near me
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Find beer gardens in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire with our interactive map
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Find beer gardens across the Highlands and Moray with our interactive map
What are the rules for bars and restaurants?
In Level 3 the “rule of six” applies to those venues operating outdoors with up to six people from six households allowed to frequent businesses under one booking. However, one-metre social distancing must still take place, which has forced many owners to only allow four people from different households so they can socially distance at their tables.
Meanwhile, indoors, hospitality will welcome up to six individuals from two households.
Shopping Centres
Queues of vehicles trying to get into Union Square car park were spotted on Market Street, with shoppers also spotted queuing at the main entrance to the Mall.
Bosses at the centre have released a video showing the additional measures in place across the site, with shoppers asked to “ditch the mid-afternoon trip” and visit when they expected to be quieter
As well as shopping centres, queues were also spotted at stores including Schuh and Primark with one customer describing stores as “busy” adding that “most shoppers are being sensible and socially distanced”.
Weekend weather forecast
Aberdeen is expected to remain mostly dry for the rest of today and into Sunday morning.
However, from 1pm onwards on Sunday, the chance of rain jumps to 60% with temperatures expected to remain around 5-6c.
Elsewhere in the region, it’s expected to remain cloudy and cool for the majority of the weekend, with heavier showers likely from Sunday lunch.