WRT vaccinating whole islands, we can't be that far off it now for the adult population of Shetland. A few weeks back there was half the total population with their first jab and I know people in their 40s with no other factors who've had it and have heard of people in Thier 20s that have had it now here.
I've no idea about other island communities.
Yeh the levels by LA does seem a very blunt tool given that some are massive and one ward with high rates can lock down the whole LA.
Dates for the diary now seem to be 20th April to find out what's what, and then 17th May for any meaningful change for us up here, but what that change is we've no idea and our political leaders here are still saying they're in the blind.
For all a lot of Shetlanders have family on island, it's very common for islanders to have friends and family on mainland Scotland and esle where with regular trips both ways. This uncertainty of whether we will be able to travel to see family after this long when the rest of mainland Scotland will be able to seems cruel and unnecessary.
Must admit I’m finding all the news coverage of people out and about in pubs, shops, gyms etc south of the border rather unsettling. While we were all locked down it seemed easier to accept and comply. Now that we have a date of 2 weeks hence it somehow seems to be causing restlessness for me.
I guess that is coupled with so many folk I know locally travelling well outwith their own LA to go for away rides, take dogs to the beach etc. We are off work this week, as had to use up annual leave and boys are off school and college. Local walks from home, local road rides, local dog walks are all things we are blessed with the ability to do, but somehow feel cheated...
Though in the bigger picture we appear to have cheated death by COVID so need to keep in perspective...
Must admit I’m finding all the news coverage of people out and about in pubs, shops, gyms etc south of the border rather unsettling.
You are not the only one.
I just see it as NS being super cautious again and using England as the petri dish.
The 26th should see a bit of change for us up here. I don't get the big deal about the football either but it's obviously important to a lot of people. I just wanna sit outside the pub with a pint and maybe a bowl of chips after a nice long bike ride 😎
Must admit I’m finding all the news coverage of people out and about in pubs, shops, gyms etc south of the border rather unsettling. While we were all locked down it seemed easier to accept and comply. Now that we have a date of 2 weeks hence it somehow seems to be causing restlessness for me.
I suspect I'm unsettled in the opposite direction. No desire to go to a shop/gym/pub but would like to be able to travel 45 minutes and go for a walk in a park/woods with my folks who I've not seen for nearly a year. Would like to be able to walk up a hill or go for a paddle on a quiet loch on my own (or with my own family). Would like to be able to ride my bike somewhere different. All pretty low risk activities, but I can't do those yet, and it looks like we'll see crowded beer gardens and queues outside Primark at the same time as those basic freedoms are made available. My big fear is there is a "spike" and they reverse all the freedoms rather than just the high risk ones. That said the numbers in Scotland are very encouraging - as low as late Sept with a downward trend rather than upwards, and most schools off for another week and restrictions for another 2 weeks means those should be more like the late august numbers by the time we ease restrictions.
All pretty low risk activities, but I can’t do those yet, and it looks like we’ll see crowded beer gardens and queues outside Primark at the same time as those basic freedoms are made available. My big fear is there is a “spike” and they reverse all the freedoms rather than just the high risk ones.
Yep. Pretty strange set of rules we've ended up with. I get there's a need to get the economy functioning and that means retail/hospitality needs to open up but restrictions on access and outdoor activity have mostly been unnecessarily slow to be lifted. I guess that lack of economic benefit had simply put it down the priority list.
Or, as someone put it last year - "wheres the safest place to be in a Covid outbreak"?
"Somewhere with a till"
Agreed, I’m in no rush to visit Primark, I think I have been in their stores 3 or 4 times in the last decade. Similarly not a pub goer, though do miss family meals out.
I haven’t ridden my MTB since about November though as there really isn't anything local to South Lanarkshire that is fun and not full of walkers and dogs. Not much of a grumble in the grand scale of things, and just about to head out for an hour or 2 from home on the road bike..
Quite a few changes then.
This Friday - travel throughout mainland permitted, 6 adults from 6 households allowed to meet outdoors.
And 26th April we'll be able to travel to/from the islands.
New documents to be published later today.
Class, travel restrictions no more!
Good news April! Bring it! 😆
so a day for me and a day with the kids this weekend it seems.
Tweed valley is probably going to be the busiest its ever been this weekend with this news, especially if the weathers decent. I feel for the trail builders down there whos trails are going to suffer from the huge increase in traffic.
Do I need to book a space on the A9 in advance or can I just turn up?
Very excited!
Do I need to book a space on the A9 in advance or can I just turn up?
I'll be deploying the stingers on Thursday night.
Yeah, all the trails would be proper awesome if nobody rode on them, ever.....
I really like buses where I am the only passenger, not all those other people slowing my journey with their annoying getting on and off.
Do I need to book a space on the A9 in advance or can I just turn up?
I’ll be deploying the stingers on Thursday night.
I think the traffic needs to be moving in order for stingers to work
What the trail builders need is a really quiet period where they can crack on with stuff followed by some nice dry weather.
I’ve heard the Tweed trails are the driest they’ve been since last April!
Does someone have a link to a summary of the restrictions by Tier for Scotland?
thanks
We've got a cottage booked on Uist in early June for multiple households and I'm getting a bit twitchy now..🤔
Yaaay 😁
Just heard this on the wireless, brilliant news. Might nip down to the Gorms for a bit of biking this weekend.
Then again, maybe not...
Only fools will go to the valley this weekend. I'm heading north.
Suspect there will be similar numbers heading north...
I may venture to my regular preCOVID trails at Mugdock, on the basis that a lot of the crowds who have been going there may go north for a change of scenery....
Well we didn't need to wait until the 20th for some good news after all! Pleased for you Scots, that have been much more restricted than us English for some time.
So if I'm correct :
April 16th -Free travel around mainland
April 26th -All go to tier 3, travel allowed to Islands (all at tier 3), no holidays from rest of UK
May 17th -All go tier 2, holidays available from rest of UK
Does this sound correct?
ETA: If this is correct, what are the chances of the May 17th unlock happening a week earlier?!
I suspect Glenlivet will be rammed this weekend.
Weather forecast looking good. Cafe open.
Am I allowed to stay in my van overnight somewhere then? Not that I will be, but wondered if that'd changed before the 26th as well.
Thankfully Glenlivet is in my LA so can give it a miss for a few weeks lol
swavis
Full Member
Am I allowed to stay in my van overnight somewhere then? Not that I will be, but wondered if that’d changed before the 26th as well.Thankfully Glenlivet is in my LA so can give it a miss for a few weeks lol
There's no stay at home, or travel restrictions, so camping is fair game.
There’s no stay at home, or travel restrictions, so camping is fair game.
Not according to the BBC report.
'...and they will be permitted to travel across Scotland to do so, as long as they do not stay overnight.'
I suspect Glenlivet will be rammed this weekend.
Weather forecast looking good. Cafe open.
I get home on Thursday so might see if the youngest fancies a trip there before the weekend.
Actual "real" wild camping, in a tent and/or bivi probably is allowed though, no? Not what most of the motorhomers call wild camping, I can understand that.
So its been noticed that its party time south of the border and the natives have become restless. Best let them off the leash a bit.
Full Member
There’s no stay at home, or travel restrictions, so camping is fair game.Not according to the BBC report.
‘…and they will be permitted to travel across Scotland to do so, as long as they do not stay overnight.’
best of luck with that.
as long as they do not stay overnight.’
I took this to mean you couldn’t stay in somebody else’s property.
Looking at media reports, most of them are saying that travel between England and Scotland will (all being well) resume for non-essential purposes on 26th April, but surely if Scotland is all at tier 3 this will not be allowed. What gives?
think I will still stay local this weekend and hope that most folk have gone elsewhere
I hope my van passes its MOT on Thursday! I'm going up a hill or down a river this weekend no matter what!
Honestly, if I never see the Pentlands again!
Rapidrob... 17th May for non-essential travel between Scotland and England no??
From 16 April you can:
- meet in groups of up to 6 adults from 6 households socially outdoors, for recreation or exercise (under 12s do not count towards the number of people meeting or households)
- travel anywhere in Scotland to meet others for the above purpose - but you must not stay away from your local council area (or for Highland or Argyll and Bute, the Level 3 or Level 4 part of those areas that you live in) overnight
https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
NS said that cross border likely to be allowed from 26th April. Reserved the right to limit travel to from high covid rate areas though. Good news all round re travel. Where to go on Saturday??
OK that was a quick decision, Inners uplift open as of Saturday!!
Son's wedding in may, was 20 guests no drink, then 50 guests no drink, now its 50 guests and drink 🥂🍻 2000 finish, who knows what it will be at on the day 😕
Not according to the BBC report.
‘…and they will be permitted to travel across Scotland to do so, as long as they do not stay overnight.’
The BBC are probably quoting guidance as law yet again. I'm intrigued by the claim that travel from England to Scotland still won't be allowed as what currently effectively stops it in the legislation is the 5 mile local authority limit.
If the regs are written in line with this then it's maybe not quite what we were all hoping for. Someone wouldn't be able to travel to another local authority to go for a walk on their own, seriously? Overnight stays only permitted within your local authority, again depriving those living in cities of our right to wild camp with no apparent justification. How can solo wild camping in a different local authority be of any greater risk then meeting a group of 6 from another local authority? I struggle to see how this makes any logical sense whatsoever or in any way balances risk against restrictions on freedom.
I struggle to see how this makes any logical sense whatsoever or in any way balances risk against restrictions on freedom.
This. If you are waiting for the Scottish govt to legalise a low risk activity like wild camping outside your local area you may be waiting some time.
Time to start observing the spirit of the regs (minimising infection) rather than the letter. Was up in the Rannoch area for the first time in a year this week. Lovely weather though still needing the winter sleeping bag in mid April! If I drive in my own car to my start point and don't use any shops or other services there is no risk to others. Certainly far less risky than driving to visit the relatives for the day which is now OK.
If you are waiting for the Scottish govt to legalise a low risk activity like wild camping outside your local area you may be waiting some time.
Two weeks.
Two weeks.
True, although I wouldn't put it past them to word the 26th regs in a way that doesn't permit it. It is just mind boggling that the scottish gov seems to think that, between the 16th and 26th, you are at unacceptable risk of spreading covid (to the point of needing to curtail freedoms) when you are either:
a) on your own as opposed to with 5 other households, or
b) outside overnight, as opposed to during the day.
