Nicola Sturgeon has said two SNP Ministers who broke covid rules were right to apologise.
The First Minister said understudy John Swinney and parliamentary business chief Graeme Day were “mortified” over lockdown breaches on the campaign trail.
When leafleting during the campaign, a maximum of four people from two households are allowed to meet outdoors.
Dey, who is contesting the Angus South seat for the SNP, was pictured with at least eight supporters last week. He offered his "unreserved apologies" over the incident.
It then emerged that Swinney, who is Education Secretary, had posted a picture on social media of himself and four other party activists.
He said: “We should not have gathered together at that time and I apologise for that.”
At her covid media briefing, Sturgeon was asked why people should bother following the rules if her own Ministers cannot.
She said: “People should bother because it is the right thing to do for ourselves and others.”
“Nobody is infallible. Before Christmas I had my mishap with not wearing a map very very briefly. The ministers, Graeme and John, who made a mistake around the size of gatherings.....were in the wrong, and people should follow the rules.”
She added: “Both of them have apologised and rightly both of them have apologised.”
“They are both pretty mortified at having done that, so none of us unfortunately are perfect and none of us are infallible.”
