ScotRail alcohol ban is increasingly difficult to justify – Martyn McLaughlin

At the weekend, an American friend whose travel plans have been repeatedly thwarted by the pandemic finally arrived in Scotland for a well-earned holiday.

Unsurprisingly, the Edinburgh Fringe features prominently in his packed itinerary, and I have been doing the best I can to recommend as many shows, pubs, and curios as possible, while also imploring him not to schedule every last minute. The highlight of August in Edinburgh is always wandering the streets and soaking in the atmosphere.

But with such counsel, there have come warnings. “Remember that when you’re getting the train there and back, you can’t drink alcohol,” I said. Laughter followed. “No, I’m serious, it’s banned.” More laughter, a little less certain, then a bemused silence. The penny dropped.

My friend is a fortysomething, university-educated professional who has spent the entirety of his career in US politics. All but the last factor should grant him automatic qualification as a grown-up, and yet he, like thousands of other passengers travelling through from Glasgow every day, must contend with a ban which is increasingly difficult to justify.