So if you're heading out for a walk in Scotland today, what can you do that wasn't within the guidelines yesterday?

Full Ramblers Scotland advice below but highlights follow in this thread
https://www.ramblers.org.uk/coronavirus  1/

You should still *Stay Local* but you can now travel up to about 5 miles before beginning your exercise - walk or cycle to the place you want to be if you can but you can drive if you wish 2/

Make sure you plan ahead by checking relevant websites for your location - you need to Be Prepared because carparks may be shut & toilets almost certainly will be, have a plan B in case your choosen destination is just too busy 3/

One of the biggest changes is you can now meet up with one other household per day & that includes taking a walk with them but you must Be Safe - that means physical distancing, good hygiene, not being indoors with them & making sure your group is never more than 8 people 4/

You should always Be Considerate on your walks but that's more important than ever right now - so keep following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code 5/

Ah, one addition to Be Safe - if you are lucky enough to have some serious landscape nearby you should still take it easy, a Mountain Rescue in full PPE is a nightmare 6/

Why is all this still necessary? The main reason is that the virus is still spreading despite the lockdown - that's how infectious it is - so we need to unlock slowly & gently. We particularly need to minimise the risks to rural communities, the NHS & mountain rescue 7/

"But walking is safe, driving in a car by myself or with my household is safe" I hear you cry. Maybe but there are hidden risks here & we all need to do our bit to keep them low 8/

The worst spread of the virus seems to be happening not via airborne droplets but via hard surfaces - if an infected person touches a surface or coughs on it, the virus lingers & people touching those surfaces & then their faces & become infected 9/

That's why all the toilets are likely to remain shut - it just isn't practical to keep them virus free & regular cleaning would have its own risks for cleaners 10/

Yes you could travel longer distances, meaning you are more likely to need a toilet, & go to the toilet outdoors if you need to but sadly the risk is that if very large numbers of people do that then carparks at some of our favourite beauty spots will quickly become cesspits 11/

How about petrol - not all of us can magically drive 260 miles or more without stopping for fuel - do you really want everyone to be touching gas pumps more often than necessary, including in communities where the virus isn't present & healthcare is limited? 12/ENDS