Marc Crothall, the chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, told Good Morning Scotland he was "speechless" when he heard that staff at the Coylumbridge hotel had been sacked and thrown out of the hotel.

He said: "There is huge anger among our industry. This is not reflective of how of all our businesses and our members behave."

Mr Crothall called it a "deplorable" action.

He said: "Yes the crisis has hit every business but we have seen nothing but compassion and respect across the sector and our upmost priority is to protect the employee welfare."

Staff at the Coylumbridge Hotel near Aviemore have been sacked and made homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Alvarito Garcia from Madrid, who has worked at the hotel for nearly two years, said his best option now was to live in his tent until his food ran out.

He said he was unsure if he would be able to return to Spain due to the travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

He told BBC radio's Good Morning Scotland that staff had no warning they were about to lose their jobs.

He said: "I don't know what to do. They gave me the letter and they said I had to leave immediately. They didn't give me any notice. Even in my rota, they didn't put anything different."

Alvarito said the letter had been given to at least 13 people - most of whom were waiters in the hotel restaurant. He said that he was unsure if the letter had been handed out to others working in different areas of the hotel.

He added: "I don't know why. They didn't say anything

"I don't have words to say. I feel useless, I feel bad."

BBC Scotland contacted the hotel and were directed to the head office for Britannia Hotels, where no-one was available for comment.

Image source, coylumbridge hotel

Staff at a Highland hotel have been sacked and made homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The owners of the Coylumbridge Hotel near Aviemore told workers who live at the hotel complex to leave the premises immediately.

They were given a letter, dated 19 March, to say the hotel was "taking the latest government advice" and that staff employment had been terminated.

The hotel has yet to comment on the issue.

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Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell was keen to tell Good Morning Scotland listeners there were very many positive stories from communities across Scotland.

She said: "There are communities working together, being imaginative, being innovative, looking out for one another.

"That sense of social cohesion is absolutely inspiring and we must take heart from that.

"Absolutely, across the country we are seeing glimpses of kindness and empathy that should sustain us through this.

"We should recognise that the best of humanity is also coming to the forefront."

Listeners have been telling Good Morning Scotland that some people are not following guidance in terms of social distancing and staying at home as much as possible.

Ms Campbell said: "The first minister has been very clear that this is not a drill."

She said if people did not heed the advice then the measures the government has put in place "will simply not work".

The communities secretary said the number of cases was escalating and so was the number of people dying as a result.

"This is not something that should be considered to be frivolous. This is absolutely necessary."

A listener texted Good Morning Scotland to tell Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell that it was difficult to get advice on financial support for businesses.

Ms Campbell said there are a range of measures in place to respond to the economic measures we are facing.

"There is a helpline. I would ask people to try to contact that.

"Also we have MSPs and councillors. If they feel they are not getting the answer or clarity they want, MSPs, regardless of political party, are working together, so get in touch with your MSP or councillor, if you are not getting through.

"We will endeavour to ensure those helplines that we set up are able to cope with the demand they are facing to make sure people get the response and the information and the clarity that they need."

Communities secretary Aileen Campbell said the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils will be supported when the schools are closed.

Some schools will stay open so that key workers did not have to stay at home to look after children.

Ms Campbell said the key workers would generally be people in health and social care but there would also be "local discretion" in each area.

"It is very much that local authorities will be given flexibility about what they need to do to keep their show on the road," she said.

"What might be a key worker in one part of Scotland might not be the same in another. There will be rural/urban differentiation and so it is important alongside the clarity about health workers and social care workers that local flexibility is also applied."

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme how everyone in the Holyrood chamber realised what a difficult decision it was to close all Scotland's schools and cancel exams for the first time in history.

She said Education Secretary John Swinney set out a "robust and credible" way of assessing students on coursework, prelims and teacher judgement.

"We have to do all we can to reassure those young people that the hard work and endeavour they have put in over the last eyars will be recognised and celebrated.

"We wanted the class of 2020 to hold their heads high."

Image source, Getty Images

Every school in Scotland will close later as part of a radical effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Many pupils may not return to the classroom until after the summer holidays, ministers have warned.

Only vulnerable children and those of key workers like NHS staff will continue to be supported.

All Scottish exams have been cancelled in an unprecedented move designed to help suppress the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Stay with us throughout the day for the latest news on how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting life in Scotland