Scots hoping to enjoy a sunshine holiday abroad this summer have been dealt another blow after Portugal was added to the amber list of countries.
The popular tourist destination was one of the few places that travellers could fly to from Scotland without the need for quarantine.
But the Scottish Government confirmed tonight that, in line with the UK Government, it will place Portugal at the amber level effective from 4am on June 8.
Any travellers returning to Scotland from Portugal beyond that deadline will have to self-isolate at home for 10 days.
There are no additions to the green list at this time but several countries are to be added to the red list - Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago.
People should not travel to amber or red countries other than for essential reasons.
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Portugal is a popular destination for Scottish holiday makers and this change will clearly cause disruption to people’s travel plans.
“However we have been forthright from the outset that the traffic light system is designed to protect the safety of the people of Scotland and the continued progress we are making as we come out of lockdown.
“Using the stringent methodology of the Joint Biosecurity Centre it is clear the risk this new variant poses is now too great to allow unrestricted travel to Portugal, an approach that has been agreed by all four nations.
“International travel for holidaying purposes remains risky and subject to sudden change. We have said before people should think very carefully about travelling – and this latest development serves to underpin that advice – especially so given the prevalence and unpredictable nature of variants of concern.”
The decision to place Portugal at amber was met with anguish by the wider tourist and aviation sector.
The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) voiced its "utter dismay" that no further countries are being added to the UK's green lists for travel.
The group told the BBC that excessive caution could be the final nail in the coffin for the travel industry, which it claims has borne the economic brunt of the covid crisis.
The group also says official criteria for inclusion in the green list appears to have been ignored.
Balpa acting general secretary Brian Strutton says: "This decision is a total disaster for the already fragile travel industry and is likely to lead to further airline failures and many more job losses.
"We understand that safety comes first, but with vaccination programmes going well in many countries, it seems the government is ignoring the evidence and is allowing safe countries to languish in the amber and red categories for no valid reason.
"Any shred of public confidence is in tatters and the traffic light system seems stuck on red.
"Our airlines need this summer season if they are to survive."
Reacting to the announcement on travel restrictions, Andrew Flintham, manging director for Tui UK, said: “This latest announcement is another step back for our industry.
“After promises that the Global Travel Taskforce would result in a clear framework, removing the damaging flip-flopping we all endured last summer, the Government decision to move Portugal straight from green to amber will do untold damage to customer confidence.
“We were reassured that a green watch list would be created and a week’s notice would be given so travellers wouldn’t have to rush back home. They have failed on this promise.
“Unlike other European countries and despite multiple requests, the Government has refused to be transparent about the data requirements for green, amber and red destinations.
“We must see the methodology so we can help our customers and plan our operations accordingly. There are destinations around the world with little or no Covid-19 cases and good vaccination rates, so we need to understand why these remain on the amber list.”
