Scotland goes into temporary lockdown (5 January 2021)

From Tuesday 5 January, mainland Scotland will move from Level 4 to a temporary Lockdown, with new guidance to stay at home except for essential purposes. You can find more detailed guidance here.

New laws will require people to stay at home and work from home where possible. Outdoor gatherings are also to be cut back, with people only allowed to meet one person from one other household. Places of worship are to be closed, group exercise banned, and schools will largely operate via online and remote learning. These rules will apply across the Scottish mainland until at least the end of January, and will be kept under review.

Sport and exercise is deemed to be an essential reason to travel. Recreational shooting such as wildfowling, deer stalking or rough shooting is permitted under the following conditions:

1. No more than two people from two households participate;
2. The activity takes place within the local authority area in which you reside, or within five miles of your local authority area boundary.

Driven game shooting or other recreational group shooting activities with more than two people can not take place.

The management of gamebirds, either for welfare or environmental reasons will still be possible. It is likewise understood that essential bird and mammalian pest control to protect crops, livestock, or for the purposes of conservation will be permitted, as will pest bird shooting so long as it complies with relevant general or individual licences as applicable. Pest control services requested by a landowner or agent can be construed either as work (whether paid or unpaid) or voluntary service.