Nicola Sturgeon has said she has “never been prouder” of Scotland as the country enters phase one of her routemap out of lockdown.

Speaking at her daily press briefing, the First Minister said she was “heartened” by the efforts of Scots to adhere to the restrictions.

“I have never been prouder of this country than I am right now,” she said.

The First Minister praised the nation after almost 10 weeks of lockdown. (Photo by Michael Schofield - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

She also admitted she had felt “a tad emotional” seeing stories of the sacrifices made by some people in lockdown.

It comes as a change to the rules means people in Scotland can now meet family and friends outdoors, and play sports such as golf and tennis again as Scotland starts to ease out of lockdown.

Garden centres are also reopening, while people are now allowed to sit and sunbathe in nearby parks and travel to somewhere local for recreation.

From today the country is moving into phase one of the Scottish Government’s four-phase plan for gradually lifting lockdown.

People north of the border are now able to meet one other household at a time outdoors – though they should continue to socially distance when meeting and the maximum number in the group should be eight.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Nicola Sturgeon: First Minister says she has “never been prouder” of Scotland

Comments