DUNBAR and Haddington High Streets are bucking a national trend and drawing customers into town centres.

The Scottish Retail Consortium published statistics revealing the extent of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on high streets across the country.

In the second quarter of 2021, the Scottish vacancy rate increased to 16.1 per cent, from 15.3 per cent in the first quarter.

The figure was also 3.2 percentage points higher than in the same point in 2020.

However, business groups in both Dunbar and Haddington painted a healthier picture.

Philip Mellor, chairman of Dunbar Trades’ Association (DTA), was pleased to say Dunbar was continuing to do well.

He said: “We buck the trend here.

“I think these are national figures and are a sorry sight for many high streets.

“However, Dunbar is a complete reversal.”

Mr Mellor, who owns the Dunmuir Hotel, said the few gaps on High Street were down to extenuating factors.

He added: “Everything is fully occupied as best as it can be and we have a waiting list. We are not dependent on big brands.

“We are a small family seaside resort town, which is growing and growing due to commuter links with Edinburgh but also its standing as a tourist destination.

“It is not just golf but all the walking, Coast To Coast and watersports, and everything that is coming into Dunbar is regenerating it and that reflects on the High Street.”

It was a similar story in Haddington, where vacant properties in the town centre are at a minimum.

Karla Green, chairwoman of Haddington Business Community Partnership, felt that, despite the pandemic, the town centre was in a good state.

She said: “I would say people are still willing to invest in the town, which is great news, especially during the pandemic.

“I think possibly people are now shopping more locally.

“I think there is a reluctance to go into the town or when they have had to stay in Haddington they have realised what they have got.”

Paul McLennan, East Lothian MSP, described the national figures as “deeply concerning” and said there needed to be a focus on town centre recovery over the coming months.

He said: “It is clear the restrictions put in place to keep us safe from coronavirus, while necessary, have of course placed a heavy toll on many of our country’s retail destinations.

“While commercial vacancies have continued to rise in Q2 of 2021, the increases are significantly lower than that of this period in 2020.

“This is a positive from the report that we should not ignore as it demonstrates we are approaching the end of the worst of this pandemic.”