Scotland lockdown: Restaurants and cinemas to re-open as rules are relaxed

More lockdown rules are being eased in Scotland from Wednesday.

The country's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says it is "the biggest step so far" in exiting lockdown.

Cinemas, museums, galleries, libraries and hairdressers can reopen from 15 July, as long as physical distancing and other safety measures are enforced.

People can also go to restaurants, and holiday accommodation is allowed to reopen.

It comes after other changes in recent days. Shopping centres and dental practices reopened on 13 July, and outdoor eating areas reopened on 6 July.

The five-mile travel limit was also lifted from 3 July, while from 10 July, people in Scotland have been allowed to meet up with two other households indoors.

For now, the 2m (6ft 6in) social-distancing rule will remain in place, as advisors are still reviewing whether it can be reduced to one metre, like in England.

However many of these changes will still not apply to people who are shielding. They will be given further advice "before the end of July".

Ms Sturgeon said the changes had been possible thanks to the "real sustained progress" in stopping the spread of the virus.

But she said the changes depend on keeping the virus under control, and could be reversed if it was felt necessary to do so.

People are also still being encouraged to follow social-distancing rules, as well as washing their hands regularly and self-isolating if they have symptoms.

Ministers have already announced that they are planning for schools to return full-time from 11 August.

Many of the changes mirror those announced for England by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but with dates two weeks later.

Ms Sturgeon accepted that Scotland's pace in exiting lockdown "is slightly slower than England's" but said it was "in my view right for our circumstances and I hope more likely to be sustainable than if we went faster".