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Easing of Scottish ...
 

[Closed] Easing of Scottish lockdown

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Just seen a story on BBC Scotland saying there's a planned anti-lockdown protest in Edinburgh on Monday. Obviously police saying it can't happen.

WTF I had some niave idea we were above that, but appears there's been protests there since the first lockdown. 🙄


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 6:25 pm
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Ah, when you say "last week" you mean "last weekend" when the Highlands were in Tier 1 and the guidance on car sharing was "avoid if possible".


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 6:34 pm
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Longdog - attended by 3 people. Its a tiny minor fringe element and probably Yoons 🙂


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 11:17 pm
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I had some niave idea we were above that, but appears there’s been protests there since the first lockdown

Naive indeed I think, idiots exist everywhere.


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 11:28 pm
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Aye, like every other country, we've no shortage of arseholes.


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 11:49 pm
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Were there not a couple of hundred folk gathered for the bells in Embra last week?


 
Posted : 09/01/2021 11:56 pm
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there were a few. a couple of hundred out of the usual 125000 is a very small %


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 12:09 am
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Were there not a couple of hundred folk gathered for the bells in Embra last week?

The photos I saw were of a couple of hundred folk scattered around the castle esplanade. Not that they should have been there, but it didn't exactly look crowded.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 12:30 am
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Would love to see the stats of sledging injuries vs. any other sport!

Have two friends who have suffered really nasty broken legs, and there was that hellish news story of some kid getting decapitated a few years ago...

I'll bet per minute of activity it is right up there amongst the most dangerous sports


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 9:58 am
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Aye, a mate from Larbert sent me a vid from this week of two 4 year olds pushed by their mum in a park, who then end up in the river. Q mega panic.

There was a young girl killed in kelvingrove park 4 or 5 years ago too.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 10:05 am
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It was really heart warming to see all the broken sledges dumped around the park when I went for a walk yesterday


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 10:05 am
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Wee hardware shop in town sold 350 of them last monday, 500 due back in stock next day.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 10:09 am
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Lost a mate to a sledging accident when he was 14.


 
Posted : 10/01/2021 11:08 am
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I watched Nicola's briefing this dinner time. Due have a cabinet meeting tomorrow morning to discuss what if any further restrictions they might put in place. Exercise restrictions were questioned. She basically said that the allowance to leave home was for essential exercise, not for leisure purposes, but to get actual exercise. Gave the impression that family wanderings on the beach or park or other general activities outdoors (birdwatching, art, picnics, photography?) is not what was meant. There was a question over enforcement and tightening of definitions, but she said that sort of thing was what they'd be discussing tomorrow.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 3:52 pm
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She basically said that the allowance to leave home was for essential exercise, not for leisure purposes, but to get actual exercise. Gave the impression that family wanderings on the beach or park or other general activities outdoors (birdwatching, art, picnics, photography?) is not what was meant.

Which is back to what it meant last March. Cut it back to. "no meeting up with anyone else" and a lot of those activities would stop anyway.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 3:56 pm
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Other than pubs being closed it really hasn't felt like a lockdown at all. I met a guided group of 6 ski tourers up the local Corbett on Friday ffs!


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:04 pm
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She basically said that the allowance to leave home was for essential exercise, not for leisure purposes, but to get actual exercise. Gave the impression that family wanderings on the beach or park or other general activities outdoors (birdwatching, art, picnics, photography?) is not what was meant.

Not this again. Perhaps she has forgotten the rather foolish and hastily buried announcement in the first lockdown (I think one of the many gaffes made by Jason Leitch) that if you enjoy it then it isn't exercise!!
At a time when Scottish media is being saturated with advice to take advantage of the limited daylight to get outside in order to avoid depression, this is a particularly stupid and unhelpful thing to say.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:09 pm
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Gave the impression that family wanderings on the beach or park or other general activities outdoors (birdwatching, art, picnics, photography?) is not what was meant.

Try explaining this distinction to a three year old! His 'exercise' is our 'family wandering'.

I guess we should be splitting 3 year old exercising duties so at least it's only one of us wandering around with our hands in our pockets while he splashes about in the mud or kicks seagulls or whatever exercise regime he is currently enjoying...


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:24 pm
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or kicks seagulls

Seagull kicking is cruel. Everyone on the pigeon slapping forum thinks so.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:31 pm
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Try explaining this distinction to a three year old! His ‘exercise’ is our ‘family wandering’.

Yeh that's the issue, what is many people's exercise is not what other's call exercise. Maybe we'll have to wear hrm's to show to the police the zone's we've been exercising in?

Sorry sir that's only zone 1, and I see you didn't workout hard enough yesterday to justify a recovery session today! Is that a scotch egg in your pocket? Practically a full meal! Sorry it's off to the nick for you!

Guess we'll see what come's tomorrow...


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:35 pm
 poly
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She basically said that the allowance to leave home was for essential exercise, not for leisure purposes, but to get actual exercise. Gave the impression that family wanderings on the beach or park or other general activities outdoors (birdwatching, art, picnics, photography?) is not what was meant.

I didn't listen to the FM's presentation today, but if that is what she meant, then the journalists should have asked why then are the words "or recreation" in s18(2)t of Schedule 5 of the regulations.

There's nothing in the dictionary definition of recreation that would suggest art or photography would not be included. I also think that someone on their own birdwatching, photographing or drawing is obviously lower risk than two people from different households going for a run together which the rules explicitly permit. I have no idea how the courts could distinguish that me walking North from my house and along a "beach" (which I can do within 5 miles of my house) is not within your implied interpretation of the exercise rules, but turning south and walking up a hill is permitted. Its ****ing baltic so I doubt there is a big problem with people sitting around on beaches or having traditional picnics.

Can anyone point me to where she said the above I can only find clips about vaccine, Celtic, Microsoft teams and court closure?


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 4:50 pm
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I think it was more about meeting up with people from other households for exercise/recreation - I understood her to mean doing this is a single household locally is ok.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 5:16 pm
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I have no idea how the courts could distinguish that me walking North from my house and along a “beach”

You're never gonna be near a court for any of this.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 5:20 pm
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Other than pubs being closed it really hasn’t felt like a lockdown at all. I met a guided group of 6 ski tourers up the local Corbett on Friday ffs!

What about the father and son duo that had to get airlifted of the hills at Xmas holidays?
Expert mountain men,so very low risk and they were only checking out an new ski route they had been thinking about,so off they went on an 80 mile round trip to the Glens.

The restrictions are not too soft,but this time around some folk have just got better at interpreting/bending them,now they don't feel guilty about all those essential trips out and about.


 
Posted : 11/01/2021 6:01 pm
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Thoughts on a wee local overnight bivvy jaunt? Can't see it mentioned in the latest guidelines, but it's obviously a very niche activity....


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 1:39 pm
 poly
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Thoughts on a wee local overnight bivvy jaunt? Can’t see it mentioned in the latest guidelines, but it’s obviously a very niche activity….

Which of the reasonable excuses for leaving your home do you think bivvying is?


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 1:52 pm
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Wild camping isnt mentioned at all that i can find and there is nothing saying WHEN you can exercise. It would also be a real low risk endeavour if you did it solo.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 1:53 pm
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Thoughts on a wee local overnight bivvy jaunt? Can’t see it mentioned in the latest guidelines, but it’s obviously a very niche activity….

low risk but certainly not in the spirit of the rules even if you can bend the letter of them to fit


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 1:55 pm
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  • local outdoor recreation, sport or exercise, walking, cycling, golf, or running that starts and finishes at the same place (which can be up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area) as long as you abide by the rules on meeting other households

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/

I reckon bivvying would come under "local outdoor recreation". Only you can know the additional risk to yourself and/or the risk you introduce to others. As we saw previously, overnight angling was considered to be OK and I struggled then to see why taking a fishing rod reduced the risk.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 1:56 pm
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Thoughts on a wee local overnight bivvy jaunt? Can’t see it mentioned in the latest guidelines, but it’s obviously a very niche activity….

My thoughts beyond trying to fit it into (or not into) the legislation or guidance......

Was hoping to do an overnight or two in the Cairngorms last week. In my LA and about 30min drive away to my proposed walk in start point. I knocked that on the head because it did not feel right on a number of levels (it could not be described as local exercise in any sense to me and also the risk level was relatively high and any need for mountain rescue or the NHS to do anything for me seems unreasonable if avoidable which it was).

However, I'm 5 inches of snow to the good at home at the moment and can walk to the Findhorn River in 6 mins from the front door. An overnight (a tent - sod bivvying at the moment!) one night this week on the river banks, getting back home in time to teach online, seems like a fun think to do...and apart from mentioning it here would go 100% unnoticed by all so don't think it would be setting a bad example or put those who enjoy TGO look bad to the population at large.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:04 pm
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My view on wild camping is that when campsites and hotels are open for all then its acceptable - and I am so fed up with not getting out into the hills


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:04 pm
 poly
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You’re never gonna be near a court for any of this.

Not sure what you mean by that? If you mean neither is illegal I completely agree. If you mean Police Scotland seem to by and large take an intelligent approach to enforcement - I agree, although it will only take I cop to try and score points and me to be having a bad day... If you mean that I'd be offered a fixed penalty so not go to court - you've missed the first point, if its not illegal there's not a chance in hell I'd be paying a fixed penalty, which leaves it for the court to decide (the fiscal might chicken out first - but it probably goes to a junior fiscal with little delegated authority to drop it). On the other hand, if you meant that as its a summary case and all summary trials in Scotland have been cancelled then fair point.

The point was Longdog has interpreted something Nicola apparently said as meaning something which is nonsensical and the legislation doesn't distinguish between; most probably based on Longdog's own inherent Bias on what constitutes exercise not anything Nicola has said or intended to say. Ultimately though the decision on what the law means though is not Longdog's or even Nicola's - ultimately law is interpreted by the courts.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:10 pm
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My view on wild camping is that when campsites and hotels are open for all then its acceptable

You'd acknowledge that the risk level is completely different though?


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:11 pm
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As a very compliant person I didn't bivi out at all during the main lockdown earlier in 2020. This time around if I could walk from home, be out, and home and leave no trace and it benefitted my mental health I would do it with no thought at all.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:14 pm
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Different yes. Less? hard to quantify but perhaps / possibly / probably.

Its back to "letter of the rules, spirit of the rules, realistic risk assessment" choose which one.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:15 pm
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I might do it* but I wouldn't talk about it online

*Actually I wouldn't but mainly because it's not my thing.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:16 pm
 poly
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I reckon bivvying would come under “local outdoor recreation”. Only you can know the additional risk to yourself and/or the risk you introduce to others. As we saw previously, overnight angling was considered to be OK and I struggled then to see why taking a fishing rod reduced the risk.

I think you are pushing the boundaries of "start and finish at the same place" if you set up camp and go to sleep! I also think the man on the Clapham Omnibus might ask if its local why you wouldn't go back to your warm bed (although that may be my bias against sleeping rough!). I completely accept that it's not the same risk as staying in holiday accom/campsite etc. Perhaps a good test is if you were very unlucky, slip and break your leg, how would the Mountain Rescue press release (or the Daily Record report) read?


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:31 pm
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Other than pubs being closed it really hasn’t felt like a lockdown at all. I met a guided group of 6 ski tourers up the local Corbett on Friday ffs!

What about the father and son duo that had to get airlifted of the hills at Xmas holidays?
Expert mountain men,so very low risk and they were only checking out an new ski route they had been thinking about,so off they went on an 80 mile round trip to the Glens.

The restrictions are not too soft,but this time around some folk have just got better at interpreting/bending them,now they don’t feel guilty about all those essential trips out and about.

It was more the fact there was a group of 7 of them, looked to be two couples and a guide, when it's quite clear that we can only meet one other person outdoors for exercise. I don't think that's open to interpretation at all.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:44 pm
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There was a decent aurora last night. I missed it but saw lots of nice photos today. So far, I've not seen anyone suggesting that going out in the dark to take photos is against/stretching guidelines though I can see why some might interpret it as that.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:50 pm
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photos taken from your back garden?


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:54 pm
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Not sure what you mean by that?

I mean, you won't see a cop on the beach, if you did, they wouldn't stop you as it's not illegal, and as such, it won't see court. The rest of your post is you reading too much into a comment.

However, I’m 5 inches of snow to the good at home at the moment and can walk to the Findhorn River in 6 mins from the front door. An overnight (a tent – sod bivvying at the moment!) one night this week on the river banks, getting back home in time to teach online, seems like a fun think to do…and apart from mentioning it here would go 100% unnoticed by all so don’t think it would be setting a bad example or put those who enjoy TGO look bad to the population at large.

Aye, more along this, a walk from my door to a point a couple of hundred metres above town.

As a very compliant person I didn’t bivi out at all during the main lockdown earlier in 2020. This time around if I could walk from home, be out, and home and leave no trace and it benefitted my mental health I would do it with no thought at all.

My feelings completely.

I'm also planning a charity 24 hour walk in a couple of weeks, leaving from the house, staying within the county, and finishing at home. I've got 1500 quid still to raise before march for my now cancelled Vietnam trek, there's not much else I can do fundraising-wise, due to restrictions. I better not stop somewhere for a wee shut eye by the sounds of it!.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:56 pm
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I couldn't see it from my back garden and I'm pretty sure there were no photographers in it last night.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:56 pm
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@poly not my own bias. She said it's for essential exercise and went on to say that means exercise and not xyz which I just can't remember. The examples I gave were mine as i couldn't remember exactly what she said, but the context was clear it was for what would be considered physical exercise not a leisure activity.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 2:57 pm
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Jason Leitch today: Meeting someone, buying a coffee and going for a (socially distanced) walk is fine. Meeting someone, buying a coffee and sitting chatting on a park bench is not fine.


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 3:00 pm
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There were stealthed scotroutes. Its a really good website watchscotroutes.com


 
Posted : 12/01/2021 3:01 pm
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