Nicola Sturgeon has suggested that people may be able to meet in small groups in a "bubble arrangement" when lockdown is eased.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government was considering how the restrictions could be scaled back - though she stressed these changes could not be implemented yet.
Ms Sturgeon has a track record of announcing plans ahead of the Westminster government - suggesting the rest of the UK could be looking at similar proposals.
Boris Johnson is planning to set out a "roadmap" for easing restrictions on Sunday.
Today Ms Sturgeon said consideration was being given to easing the rules on people leaving their homes, to allow exercise to happen more than once a day.
She also said there could be a relaxation to allow "meeting up with small defined groups" of other people - potentially outdoors at first - in a "sort of bubble" arrangement.
She also said there were potentially 26,000 people in Scotland with Covid-19.
She said the "best estimate" was that the R number - the number of people infected by each person who has the virus - was that this was between 0.7 and one.
But she stressed: "We can't be sure it is not closer to one than 0.7"
Downing Street declined to say whether or not the idea will be part of Boris Johnson’s “roadmap” out of lockdown.
But the PM’s spokesman said it was clear there was a smaller risk of transmission outdoors than indoors.
“That will obviously be something we’re considering as part of the review,” the spokesman added.
The Scottish First Minister spoke as the Scottish Government published an update to its framework for easing coronavirus restrictions.
While she said ministers were working towards "careful and gradual changes" to the lockdown restrictions, she also stressed this would only happen "when we judge it is safe to make them, which I am afraid is not right now".
With the current restrictions due to be reviewed on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said it was "highly unlikely" any significant changes would be made at this time.
While she said "real progress" was being made, particularly with regard to the number of patients requiring intensive care treatment, she added "that progress is still fragile".
She warned changes could "quickly see transmission of the virus increase again".
The First Minister was clear that "options" set out in the new paper was "not a list of things we will definitely do by certain dates".
She added: "This is going to be a long process with different phases along the way and we will only implement these changes when we are as certain as possible it is safe to do so."
Ms Sturgeon said "We are considering firstly if and how we can safely change our advice on spending time outdoors, to allow exercise outside to happen more than once a day, so long as we continue to stay apart from people outside our own households.
"Second, we are also considering if a slight relaxation in the rules to allow meeting up with a small, defined group of people from other households in a sort of bubble might be possible - even if initially that was only possible out of doors and not indoors.
She added: "We have to consider carefully the impact on the spread of the virus and we also have to think through how such an approach could be implemented in practice, and how the limitations of it could be enforced if necessary."
Boris Johnson is expected to reveal the first relaxation of some lockdown rules on Sunday, days after the three-week review is completed on Thursday.
The Government hopes the “test, track and trace” approach – eventually used alongside the new NHS app being trialled on the Isle of Wight – will allow it to take a localised approach.
So if a city such as Manchester, for example, became a virus hotspot after the lockdown had been eased, testing could begin on a large scale and contact-tracers deployed.
A source said: “If you saw a worrying increases of transmission in regions, then you would want to move quickly to try to stop those.”
Schools and non-essential shops could be closed, to help drive back down the crucial R transmission rate between people, while the rest of the country continued as normal.
Wearing face masks is likely to be the new normal for shoppers still fearing a second wave of the virus.
As part of the national easing of restrictions, the PM is expected to say primary schools could reopen for some pupils – most likely Year Six – as early as June 1.
But other tough restrictions will remain until there is a vaccine, with cinemas, pubs and theatres likely to stay closed for months.
And those who can work from home are expected to be asked to continue. Department of Business officials are drawing up guidance to get people back to work in the coming weeks.
Recommendations could include staggering shift times to ease the rush hour, avoiding hot-desking or sharing pens, closing lifts and canteens. Bosses are currently advised to keep workers two metres apart wherever possible.
