Three hotels that formed part of travel company David Urquhart Group were this week been put on the market to raise cash for creditors.

David Urquhart Travel, whose coaches were a common sight on the Scottish road network for nearly four decades, announced last week that it had ceased trading in light of the “dramatic” impact coronavirus has had on the travel and tourism industry.

READ MORE: The demise underlined the devastation wrought on the sector by the pandemic, which has sparked a collapse in holiday bookings and the mass grounding of aircraft under moves to halt the spread of the disease. Package holiday giant Tui said this week that it will axe up to 8,000 jobs across the world as it looks to cut costs by up to 30 per cent.

In another of our best-read stories this week, a specialty vaccine company is seeking grant funding to ramp up production of a potential inoculation against Covid-19 from its Scottish laboratory.

READ MORE: French-headquartered Valneva is in discussions with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) after partnering with US-listed Dynavax to develop a vaccine candidate in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Valneva has 500 employees across six countries, including approximately 100 staff at its Scottish facility in Livingston. 

One of the North Sea’s most successful oil and gas entrepreneurs has insisted the area still has a future although the outlook is bleak following the crude price plunge triggered by the coronavirus.

READ MORE: Oil and gas firms have been slashing spending in the area in response to the fall in the Brent crude price from around $70 in January to about $30/bbl.

Also this week we reported that 200 staff are to move to a Glasgow office building with spa-style changing facilities,

READ MORE: Sedgwick International, which provides claims services to insurance companies, is relocating more than 200 staff to the Sentinel building on Glasgow’s Waterloo Street, from its current Bath Street office.

Ian McConnell: UK mood music on EU is ever more troubling amid this coronavirus crisis

Scott Wright: Furlough extension vital to survival of Scottish tourism and hospitality

Mark Williamson: Have big oil firms really got the message on climate change?​

Kristy Dorsey: Why confidence will be the key to Covid recovery

Monday Interview: Fishing for opportunity amid the waves of adversity

SME Focus: Honey business plays part in effort to boost dwindling bee numbers in Scotland

Insight: North Sea woes writ large in update from oil and gas heavyweight​

And finally ... Plans have been unveiled for a 166-bedroom hotel in Edinburgh's West End.​