New Coronavirus Law

[Gareth Harper]

Travel isn't really restricted though, as shown by Nicola Sturgeon's trip from Glasgow to Irvine to visit her parents. They met outdoors in the garden where there is little risk of infection, so why not travel a similar distance for outdoor exercise.

Again, it’s pretty simple. Travel for exercise shouldn’t be much more than 5 miles – ie stay local.

You can travel to visit members of another household in an outdoor space. You should use your judgement on how far to travel – you should avoid long journeys.

Car parks remain closed.

Travelling a distance to walk in the hills is not within the guidelines.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-phase-1-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/pages/meeting-others-outdoors/

[malky_c]

Therefore it seems sensible to limit travel between different parts of the country as much as possible until the infection rate has reduced (particularly between the disease-ridden central belt and the largely unaffected highlands).

Travel isn't really restricted though, as shown by Nicola Sturgeon's trip from Glasgow to Irvine to visit her parents. They met outdoors in the garden where there is little risk of infection, so why not travel a similar distance for outdoor exercise.

And I don't think it's helpful to use weighted language like 'disease-ridden central belt', there are obviously going to be more cases in an area with a higher population but I haven't seen a regional breakdown of R numbers.

I was being slightly tongue-in-cheek - I am after all living right in the middle of it! I haven't spent much time studying the numbers, but I know that the number of cases in the Highlands, islands, southern uplands and other rural areas is a fraction of what it is in the Central Belt, and a way lower percentage of overall deaths. There is a restriction on travelling by necessity rather than distance - whether the right exceptions have been made, I don't know, but it would seem sensible not to have a free-for-all just yet.

[Sunset tripper]

Charles T writes: "Never mind the hills, with all the newbie cyclists huffing, puffing and wheezing their way up the hill outside my house I'm going to have to disinfect the road before long."

On the roads? you are in great luck - here they are on the pavements - narrow - and passing unannounced at c. 1 ft separation................ lucky you

We don't have pavements here in deepest, darkest Oxfordshire. Almost medieval.

I have been a cyclist for many years. I'm mainly a cycle to get somewhere type of person rather than a member of the lycra brigade.

We do have pavements in the highlands and the big problem for cyclists nowadays is that you are often expected to cycle on the pavements. The distributor road in Inverness is the worst case for me as it is shared with pedestrians and cyclists. The pedestrians expect you to cycle on the road and the motorists expect you to cycle on the pavement.

Another new problem for cyclists sharing pedestrian areas is the bell. If you use the bell some respond aggressively as they think it means "oi get out of my way!" but if you dont use it the response on occasion is "Have you not got a ****ing bell?"

[Sunset tripper]

Travel isn't really restricted though, as shown by Nicola Sturgeon's trip from Glasgow to Irvine to visit her parents. They met outdoors in the garden where there is little risk of infection, so why not travel a similar distance for outdoor exercise.

Again, it’s pretty simple. Travel for exercise shouldn’t be much more than 5 miles – ie stay local.

You can travel to visit members of another household in an outdoor space. You should use your judgement on how far to travel – you should avoid long journeys.

If it was simple most people would come to the same conclusion which they clearly haven't. It is deliberately vague but the law is not.

Official advice

Travelling a distance to walk in the hills is not within the guidelines.

Official advice

It is recommendations and advice but it has been repeatedly said by the government the major factor is common sense and avoiding other people. We are no longer in a strict lockdown and the actual law is clear.

Also in phase 2 (which hopefully will start in the next few days), even if you interpret the advice in the most restrictive way possible the car parks should surely be opened.

[Gareth Harper]

If it was simple most people would come to the same conclusion which they clearly haven't. It is deliberately vague but the law is not.

Like I say, the car parks are closed. Travelling a distance is not encouraged. For excercise the guideline is around 5 miles.

Do you have a link for that first piece of advice?

As it is not the same as the page I linked to;

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-phase-1-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/pages/meeting-others-outdoors/

[Marty_JG]

Travelling is not "encouraged", but it is lawful and the First Minister did so openly.

[Flat Earther]

Travelling is not "encouraged", but it is lawful and the First Minister did so openly.

Let them eat cake ...

[BigTed]

Do you have a link for that first piece of advice?

Dated 8th June. Downloaded today 17th June

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-what-you-can-and-cannot-do/pages/seeing-friends-and-family/

Are people allowed to travel to meet friends and family outside?

Yes, but you should stay in your local area if possible. As a guide we suggest ‘local’ to be no more than five miles from your house.

[Sunset tripper]

Like I say, the car parks are closed. Travelling a distance is not encouraged. For excercise the guideline is around 5 miles.

Do you have a link for that first piece of advice?

As it is not the same as the page I linked to

Here is the link.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-what-you-can-and-cannot-do/pages/seeing-friends-and-family/

See below - this is taken from the link you provided.

Now that bit is clear and it gives a reason for the 5 mile advice.

I agree travelling is not encouraged for recreation but it is not encouraged for visiting friends either.
The point I have been trying to make is the rules are not hard and fast and require sensible interpretation. The reasons for the 5 mile advice do seem to be fairly clear though - circled in red.
We are no longer in strict lockdown and it will hopefully ease further in the next few days.

[Gareth Harper]

Here is the link.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-what-you-can-and-cannot-do/pages/seeing-friends-and-family/

Cheers.

For exercise I don’t see anything that encourages anybody to travel anything other than short distances (roughly 5 miles). The car parks are closed. And MRT are reiterating the government advice.

But to visit family or friends you can go further;

It is acceptable to travel outside your local area to meet members of another household in an outdoor space such as a private garden, but you should use your judgement about how far to travel. Keep in mind that the purpose of the continuing restrictions is to prevent the transmission of the virus, including to those we care about.
For this reason, you should avoid long journeys that would require you to use indoor facilities such as toilets while away from home, as the risk of transmitting the virus is greater indoors, and the virus could be transmitted by or to you when you touch surfaces.

Hence I see nothing controversial about the First Ministers visit to her parents .

We are no longer in strict lockdown and it will hopefully ease further in the next few days.

Yes, if the current trend continues life will continue to become less restrictive.
I’m in no rush now anyway. Its far too warm for hill walking, plus the conditions are perfect for hoards of cleggs. If there is one thing I can’t handle its cleggs.

[Marty_JG]

Think about that for a moment, you're encouraged to drive as far as you like (especially if you don't use indoor loos, plenty of outdoor options) to meet someone from another household if outside, e.g. on a hill, but you're discouraged from going to that exact same hill without meeting someone from another household.

The rationale behind this is as clear as shite.

[kaiserstein]

Maybe because there's thousands of people from central belt who want to go up north for hillwalking. I think the numbers who have a relative living at the bottom of a munro are a bit less. Its a numbers thing. I think the government is trying to discourage hordes arriving en masse to the highlands. Yes there are still people that will take the P and go anyway. Yes hillwalking is low risk. We get it. Its just if everyone goes at same time (a lot of folk not working right now) there will be almost definitely be a transmission that could have been prevented.
I dont really get people here arguing for everyone to head to hills. If you feel you must. Do it. But why do you feel you must encourage others to do the same?

[Sunset tripper]

MRT are reiterating the government advice.

That's one of the problems, MRT are not reiterating the government advice. They have given their own take or preferences on the advice in fact they have changed the wording of the advice to make it far more restrictive. Moutaineering Scotland and the National parks have done the same.
The actual advice from the government and reasoning, I have just posted.

Many like yourself will want to stay off the hills anyway, but for others it shouldn't even be an issue and it certainly isn't illegal.

[Gareth Harper]

Think about that for a moment, you're encouraged to drive as far as you like (especially if you don't use indoor loos, plenty of outdoor options) to meet someone from another household if outside

No that is clearly not what the guidance says.

[Sunset tripper]

Maybe because there's thousands of people from central belt who want to go up north for hillwalking. I think the numbers who have a relative living at the bottom of a munro are a bit less. Its a numbers thing. I think the government is trying to discourage hordes arriving en masse to the highlands. Yes there are still people that will take the P and go anyway. Yes hillwalking is low risk. We get it. Its just if everyone goes at same time (a lot of folk not working right now) there will be almost definitely be a transmission that could have been prevented.
I dont really get people here arguing for everyone to head to hills. If you feel you must. Do it. But why do you feel you must encourage others to do the same?

I live in the highlands and personally I dont think the highlands is a much of a concern for the government, and hill walking in the highlands is never mentioned in the daily briefings.
I agree there will be transmission with lockdown easing, its inevitable but very unlikely it will be anything to do with hill walking.

It's not about encouraging people to take to the hills en masse, but folk shouldn't be made to feel frightened to go out because they might be doing something wrong or breaking the law when they are not.