A Highlands and Islands MSP has written to Finance Secretary Kate Forbes asking her to reconsider the Scottish Government decision to exclude many local B&Bs and self-catering businesses from top-up grants worth £6,000.

Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron said that he had been contacted by business owners who have been surprised and disappointed to find that they had been excluded from the payments made through the Strategic Framework Fund.

He said: “I very much hope that Kate Forbes listens to this plea for help. If made available, the support would provide a significant lifeline for many small businesses who have struggled through the pandemic, and have received little, if any, significant income since the peak tourist season of 2019.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the hospitality sector to the economy of the Highlands and Islands and, frankly, the Scottish Government has more than enough resources to help it weather this storm.

“These businesses should not be allowed to fail because they fall between the cracks of a scheme that is supposed to help them.”