A one-off payment will be made to nightclubs and soft play centres that were forced to close during lockdown and remain shut when restrictions were eased.

They can get a grant of up to £50,000 while guidance for soft pay to re-open when it is safe to do so is to be published soon, the Scottish Government said.

Jamie Hepburn, Business Minister, said: “We know that nightclubs and soft play centres have been particularly badly hit by this pandemic – unlike the majority of businesses, they have not been allowed to open since March.

“These grants take account of those exceptional circumstances and will provide a boost as we continue to tackle the virus.

“We don’t want any business to remain closed for a day longer than is necessary but public health is paramount. Unfortunately we are at a critical point with infection levels rising again and it is not safe to lift restrictions on these activities."

Business leaders in Glasgow however said some nightclubs would lose out because they tried to open as a pub, to keep staff in work.

Stuart Patrick, chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said: “I am completely baffled by this decision not to give this financial support to nightclubs who re-opened as pubs. “Businesses were asked to be innovative in an attempt to save jobs, and now those nightclubs who did so are being punished again. It makes no sense. 

 “The Garage nightclub, which is one of our members, is typical. I know that as a pub they were only able to host 80 socially-distanced customers at a time. They did not make profit from this, but what they did do was keep staff employed.”