First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has told Scots to “take it easy” as the country takes its first real steps out of lockdown since Boxing Day.
Today, pub beer gardens will re-open for the first time allowing up to six people from six different homes to meet up outdoors and consume alcohol.
Restaurants, bars and cafes will also be able to open indoors until 8pm but will not be permitted to sell alcohol.
Shops, gyms, beauty parlours, swimming pools, libraries, galleries and museums will also be back in business as the entire country moves to Tier Three.
People can travel anywhere in Scotland, including the islands. Borders have also come down between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Sturgeon said: “We are only able to open up because of the sacrifices made by people across the country over the last few months and the success of Scotland’s vaccine programme.
“While I know people will naturally want to go out and enjoy themselves or take part in activities that haven’t been allowed for the last few months, I encourage everyone to be careful, to follow the rules and to take it easy.”
She added: “I know that all of us will be looking forward to seeing friends and family, visiting a cafe, going to the gym, and, most importantly, taking important first steps back to some kind of normality.
“I really hope that the changes to lockdown rules do make a positive difference and give all of us a real sense of hope and optimism that we are on the right track.
“As Scotland’s vaccination programme continues to progress at pace, we will be able to continue taking those careful steps towards a less restricted lifestyle in the future.
“But for now, I want to thank people across the country for overwhelmingly sticking to the rules and protecting themselves and others from this virus.”
Everyone in Scotland will be able to access rapid Covid testing, even if they have no symptoms, from today.
Medical experts said the expansion of testing will help efforts to ease the country out of lockdown safely.
Free lateral flow home test kits will be available for people to pick up from today without an appointment from many local walk-in or drive-through test sites from 3.30pm each day, or by ordering online or by phone, for people to test themselves twice a week.
The expansion aims to find cases that would otherwise go undetected, so anyone who tests positive can self-isolate and avoid passing on the virus.
Those who do not have access to asymptomatic testing can now test themselves, including anyone planning to travel to a Scottish island.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “This expansion builds on our existing testing strategy and will help our efforts to ease the country out of lockdown safely.
“Rapid lateral flow testing is already helping us to find cases that might otherwise have been missed, as around one in three people with Covid-19 do not show symptoms.
“That’s why it’s vital people can access testing, even if they don’t feel unwell.
“It may be tempting to think, as vaccinations increase and cases drop, that testing will become less important. In fact, this will only make it more important to spot and prevent new outbreaks as cases emerge.
“This also applies regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection against the effects of Covid-19, they don’t yet provide a guarantee that you can’t still get the virus or pass it on to others.”
