London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Feb 19, 2026

Covid in Scotland: Cross-border travel allowed from Monday

Covid in Scotland: Cross-border travel allowed from Monday

Travel around Britain will be allowed from Monday after the Scottish government announced the lifting of restrictions on cross-border journeys.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the ban on non-essential travel to England and Wales would end on 26 April.

"From Monday you can travel anywhere across Britain for any purpose," she told a coronavirus briefing.

Restrictions on travel to Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man will also be lifted.

However, people are urged to check the rules on entry before travelling.

The current guidance in place in Northern Ireland only allows people to travel into or out of the country for essential reasons.

The moves are part of a wider easing of Scotland's lockdown restrictions, which will also see the reopening of hospitality, tourist accommodation, visitor attractions and non-essential shops.

Most travel restrictions within Scotland were lifted last Friday.

There had been fears that some restrictions could remain in place for travel from the mainland to Scottish islands, many of which have very low rates of Covid.

Lateral flow tests will be available to anyone in Scotland from Monday, and anyone travelling to the islands is being urged to take two tests before their journey.

One should be taken three days before departure, and one on the day. If a positive result is returned from the initial test, people are encouraged to take a more sensitive PCR test before making a final decision on whether to cancel their visit.

Travel restrictions in Scotland were eased last week

"This is potentially an important way we can minimise the risk of bringing Covid into island communities, while nevertheless allowing our island communities the benefit of opening up again to visitors," said Ms Sturgeon.

The lifting of travel restrictions with the rest of the UK will also take effect from Monday.

National clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said people should not be crossing borders to do things that they could not do in their own country.

"People from Cumbria should not come to the indoor hospitality in Dumfries, and people shouldn't go the other way to do stuff that they cannot do (in Scotland)," he said.

"But of course they should do it to visit family outdoors in their gardens, because that has not been possible."


The Scottish government also stressed that international travel for non-essential purposes was still not permitted.

Ms Sturgeon said this was "difficult" for the aviation and tourism sector, and for those with family overseas.

"We want to restore normality on international travel as quickly as possible," she said.

"But we must be sensible in light of the risks we face. We are continuing to work with the UK government to agree a common approach to international travel after 17 May."

She also highlighted the change in rules for travel to India, in light of the country's soaring virus case numbers.

From Friday anyone travelling to Scotland from India must quarantine for 10 days in managed accommodation in the place where they first arrived back in the UK.

Meanwhile, train operator ScotRail said ticket checks would resume on its services from Monday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Inflation Slows Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for Bank of England Rate Cut
Hide the truth, fake the facts, pretend the opposite, Britain is as usual
France President Macron says Free Speech is Bull Sh!t
Viktor Orbán getting massive praise for keeping Hungary safe, rich and migrant-free!
UK Inflation Falls to Ten-Month Low, Markets Anticipate Interest Rate Cut
UK House Prices Climb 2.4% in December as Market Shows Signs of Stabilisation
BAE Systems Predicts Sustained Expansion as Defence Orders Reach Record High
Pro-Palestine Activists Cleared of Burglary Charges Over Break-In at UK Israeli Arms Facility
Former Reform UK Councillors Form New Local Group Amid Party Fragmentation
Reform UK Pledges to Retain Britain’s Budget Watchdog as It Seeks Broader Economic Credibility
Miliband Defends UK-California Clean Energy Pact After Sharp Criticism by Trump
University of Kentucky to Host 2026 Summer Camps Fair Connecting Families with Local Programmes
UK Police Forces Assess Claims Jeffrey Epstein Used Stansted Airport Flights in Trafficking Network
UK-Focused Equity ETF FLGB Climbs to Fresh 52-Week Peak on Strong Market Sentiment
Trump Warns UK’s Chagos Islands Agreement Is a “Big Mistake” Amid Strategic Security Debate
Trump Urges UK to Retain Sovereignty Over Diego Garcia Amid Strategic Concerns
Italian Police Arrest Man After Alleged Attempt to Abduct Toddler at Bergamo Supermarket, Child Hospitalised With Fractured Femur
Rupert Lowe wanted to deport rape gangs and the communities who protected them
Reform UK Appoints Former Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick as Finance Chief
UK Unemployment Rises to Highest in Nearly Five Years as Labour Market Weakens
Rupert Lowe Advocates for English-Only Use in the UK
US Successfully Transports Small Nuclear Reactor from California to Utah
South Korea's traditional sand wrestling sport ssireum faces declining interest at home
Japan outlawed Islam
Virginia Giuffre accuses Epstein of trafficking to powerful men for blackmail.
New Mexico lawmakers initiate investigation into Zorro Ranch linked to Jeffrey Epstein
British Tourist Arrested at Hong Kong Airport After Meltdown and Vandalism
The Spanish government has ordered prosecutors to investigate platforms X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material
European Commission Plans Purchase Incentives Limited to Vehicles Manufactured Largely in the EU
French District of Pas-de-Calais Introduces Immediate License Suspension for Drivers Using Mobile Phones
Volkswagen Targets €60 Billion in Cost Reductions as Sales Decline and Global Pressures Intensify
Nigel Farage Names Reform UK Frontbench Team and Signals Zero Tolerance for Internal Dissent
Qualcomm to Withdraw UK Lawsuit Over Smartphone Chip Royalty Dispute
Major UK Banks Explore Domestic Card Network to Rival Visa and Mastercard
Cold Health Alert Issued Across UK as Temperatures Drop Sharply
Nine-Year-Old Becomes First Child in UK to Undergo Groundbreaking Leg-Lengthening Surgery
UK Workers Face Stagnant Incomes and a Softening Labour Market as Unemployment Climbs
UK Passport Rules Tightened for British Dual Nationals Under New Travel Guidance
California Deepens Global Climate Alliance with New UK Pact and Major Clean-Tech Investment Drive
UK Supreme Court Tightens Rules on Use of ‘Milk’ and ‘Cheese’ Labels for Plant-Based Products
University of Kentucky Postpones Feb. 19 Law Enforcement Training Exercise in Lexington
‘The only thing illegal is Keir Starmer handing these islands to a country like Mauritius!’
JD Vance says Germany is “killing itself” by taking in millions of fake asylum seekers from culturally incompatible nations.
UK Markets Signal Opportunity as Starmer Confronts Intensifying Political Pressure
Trump Criticises Newsom’s UK Climate Pact, Defends Federal Authority Over Foreign Engagements
UK’s Top Prosecutor Says ‘No One Is Above the Law’ as Police Review Claims Against Ex-Prince Andrew
Businessman Adam Brooks weighs in on the reports that the US is set to help Hamit Coskun flee the UK, over free speech concerns
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Releases 3.5 Million Pages of Jeffrey Epstein Case Files
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Comment on European allies report blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using toxin from poison dart frogs
Eighty-Year-Old Lottery Winner Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Drug Trafficking
×