Edinburgh Zoo have announced that they will be reopening next week for local residents for the first time since lockdown.
In a statement today, the zoo stated that they will welcome visitors back from this week, on limited days.
Under the increased restrictions at Christmas, the zoo had closed alongside many other attractions around the city.
However, the zoo has now confirmed that they can open under the Scottish Government guidelines as a "safe outdoor environment".
For the time being, the zoo will open on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the first reopening date set to be February 26.
The first initial dates will be reserved for "zoo members and prepaid ticket holders as a thank you" from the charity, which has faced financial struggles since the pandemic began.
Following this, March dates will be available to the rest of the public who live within the Edinburgh local authority area.
With tickets expected to sell out fast, the zoo have said they made add extra dates if demand calls for it.
A range of hygiene measures will be in place, with the zoo adding:
"Safety comes first and there will be a wide range of added measures in place to protect our visitors, staff and animals. This includes everyone needing to book tickets in advance.
"We are asking everyone to follow government guidance which means you must not travel from outside the local authority area or gather in groups of more than two households with more than two adults.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported us by donating, adopting, joining as a member + much, much more – you are helping to care for our animals + endangered species in Scotland and around the world."
You can find more information here.
