Edinburgh locals were allowed to enjoy a drink outdoors with friends on a Friday night for the first time this year.
The Grassmarket was packed out with drinkers, but when the outdoor seating areas closed at 10pm, many revellers flocked to Three Sisters after they decided to stay open until 1am.
Pictures taken by Edinburgh Live at around 10.30pm on Friday night show a crowd of locals excited to get into the venue for a late-night drinking session.
We previously reported how Nicola Sturgeon gave the go-ahead for the hospitality industry to open back up again to serve alcohol outside, and while the initial Scottish Government guidance was for pubs to close at 10pm, the wording has since been updated.
The latest Scottish Government guidance on serving alcohol outdoors in level three now reads: "Outdoors: alcohol permitted – local licensing laws apply (maximum of six people from six households outdoors)".
This means that Edinburgh pubs with an enclosed beer garden can stay open as long as their usual license allows them to.
Three Sisters Operations Manager Eric Drought said: "We have made sure that we have staff and security on the door to manage the situation.
"We are not allowing people to queue directly outside unless they have a booking.
"But if there is a table free we will check you in with the QR code system straight away so there is no lingering around.
"80 percent of the tables were booked in advance.
"It was a successful night and we will be open again until 1 am on Saturday."
The Pear Tree also confirmed to Edinburgh Live that they would be staying open to the later time of 12am at the weekend.
