Orkney pubs to get extended World Cup opening times

Hospitality businesses in Orkney will be allowed extended opening hours for Scotland's matches during the World Cup this summer.

The national team will face Haiti in their first fixture at the tournament for 28 years on 14 June, with kick-off at 02:00 UK time.

Both other group matches, against Morocco on 19 June and Brazil on 24 June, get under way at 23:00.

The extension in Orkney was approved for businesses with TV sport already in their operating plan. It will include an extra hour on licenses for the duration of the World Cup, and half-an-hour after the final whistle for Scotland matches to allow for drinking up and dispersal.

It has already been decided that council staff in Aberdeenshire, Moray and Shetland will not get an additional public holiday to mark Scotland's participation in the World Cup.

In Orkney, a decision against the holiday was taken by the policy and resources committee but that still has to go through full council.

However, a special meeting of Aberdeen City Council's staff governance committee agreed that its staff should get the extra holiday.

Scotland's men's national team will be playing in its first World Cup since 1998 after qualifying, with a 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park.