Overnighting onboard in Scotland

[awol]

Announcement tomorrow .......... wait for it.

 

[dunedin]

If the English travel restrictions are to be lifted w/c 26th April and also non-essential hotel stays possible, when will there likely be a formal announcement? It’s now one week away and I’d like to make a hotel booking. Leaving it until last minute usually means price premium ?

Next update from Nicola expected tomorrow, Tuesday

 

[Bilgediver]

........is it still looking like from 26th April I’ll be able to drive from Manchester to Scotland, stay a few days at local hotel while slapping-on a coat antifoul and other jobs in readiness for launch?

Fingers crossed and I can go south to visit family so make room for you

 

[biscuit]

26th April confirmed: free to travel to & from Eng. & Scotland and stay overnight on boat etc. Covid precautions as before.

 

[ProDave]

So the much expected stunning annoucement from Nicola was......... Nothing other than what was already planned. Talk about anti climax.

 

[trythalljohn]

Please note that visitors to the islands are advised to do Lateral Flow Tests 3 and 1 days before intended visit. These are available free and can be ordered online.

Covid in Scotland: Cross-border travel allowed from Monday

 

[panaras]

I have a friend in England booked into a hotel in Scotland for the first week in May. Clearly the hotel is expecting tourists from England to be allowed to cross the border and come and stay after April 26th.

If you are talking about from Outside the UK then the quarantine rules might apply?

Yeah I'm talking about from outside of England. I'm from USA and hope that I can visit your beautiful country in the summer. How are things going with the vaccinations? Here we are at 15%.

 

[SaltIre]

Yeah I'm talking about from outside of England. I'm from USA and hope that I can visit your beautiful country in the summer. How are things going with the vaccinations? Here we are at 15%.

You can find information about case numbers and vaccinations in Scotland here:
Tableau Public
We are at 60.5% of adults dose 1 vaccinated and 17.6% dose 2.


Edit:
Guidance on travel and transport here:

International travel (outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
Travel to or from Scotland without a reasonable excuse is prohibited by law. See reasonable excuses. Holidays are not a legal reason to travel.
It is likely that you will need to isolate in a hotel or at home in Scotland for at least 10 days after you arrive. Travellers, by law, must have proof of a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test before travelling to Scotland from abroad.
More information on testing for people travelling to Scotland and quarantine is in the international travel guidance.
The situation is evolving worldwide, so it is important that you check all guidance before you travel.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on travel and transport - gov.scot

You may need to search information for England, UK, as well...

 

[wully1]

So, if you intend visiting the Scottish islands you’ll be needing 2 negative covid tests before arrival - otherwise the Eileachs might be ‘inviting ‘you to visit their Wicker Man...

Ive just ordered my free 7 test box

Not sure how this will work if you arrive on your own boat,how long a test is valid , how many islands you can visit in one test, who will check and how you prove you had a good test - I guess I’ll just take the completed test kit with me as proof.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Please note that visitors to the islands are advised to do Lateral Flow Tests 3 and 1 days before intended visit. These are available free and can be ordered online.

But you have to say that you have been told to take the test and you need to have a working mobile phone handy. Which at the bottom of my Galloway valley I do not.

 

[JumbleDuck]

So the much expected stunning annoucement from Nicola was......... Nothing other than what was already planned. Talk about anti climax.

We have a lot more dates than before! Adapted from the BBC News page:

26th April: Level 3 everywhere, cross-border travel ok.

Pubs, bars, cafés, restaurants and bars will be able to serve people outdoors - in groups of up to six from six households - until 22:00 from that date. Alcohol will be permitted, and there will be no requirement for food to be served.
Takeaways will be able to resume normal service, with physical distancing and face masks worn inside premises.
There will also be a partial resumption of indoor hospitality - food and non-alcoholic drinks can be served until 20:00 for groups of up to six people from no more than six households. Contact details will still need to be collected.
Tourist accommodation, museums, galleries, libraries can also open from this date.​

For sailing, Level 3 and having everywhere at Level 3 are the main improvements, because they mean - more or less - that you can go where you like and do what you want in small groups. The lower levels increase the group sizes and add a few more things, but nothing - as far as I can see - which would affect us much

17th May: Level 2 everywhere.

Indoor hospitality is expected to resume with alcohol being served and pubs or restaurants allowed to stay open until 22:30 with two-hour time-limited booking slots.​

7th June: Level 1 everywhere.

In early June it is hoped up to six people from three households can socialise indoors, at home or in a public place.
Outside, up to eight people from three households can meet while for 12 to 17-year-olds the limit on the number of households rises to eight.
Hospitality will be able to stay open until 23:00 and the number of constraints on events such as concerts will be relaxed.​

"Later in June": Level 0 everywhere.

Larger groups everywhere, basically.​

 

[JumbleDuck]

Not sure how this will work if you arrive on your own boat,how long a test is valid , how many islands you can visit in one test, who will check and how you prove you had a good test - I guess I’ll just take the completed test kit with me as proof.

It doesn't look as if there is any compulsion or checking - just a request that we do it.

 

[claymore]

Not rushing into this - had both jabs now and we have the free 7 test box but there is so much talk about false positives that I think the safest thing is to stay away from the Islands for a while - there's plenty of other places for the time being.

 

[wully1]

It doesn't look as if there is any compulsion or checking - just a request that we do it.

And anyone with any respect for the islanders they are going to visit should do it?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

It’s a political stunt, the advisory tests. The very fact that it’s voluntary, inaccurate, can not take into account virus transfer from in transit activities proves that it is a waste of time. I strongly disagree about the disrespect comment because a community on the mainland could also be considered just as vulnerable as an island community.

The reason it is a political decision to make the recommendation is that there is a lot of pent up fear about what will happen. The voluntary testing will not be a barrier to the virus spread to the islands if the numbers start climbing again. Yet the island communities and businesses need tourist revenue, as much as anywhere else does that relies on tourist income. Therefore the recommendation by the government tries to balance these two things. It’s irrational because it is not being applied to other communities on the mainland.

There is nothing specially fragile about island communities and the virus. If anything they have more robust methods of controlling an outbreak, which is probably inevitable.

 

[wully1]

It’s a political stunt, the advisory tests. The very fact that it’s voluntary, inaccurate, can not take into account virus transfer from in transit activities proves that it is a waste of time. I strongly disagree about the disrespect comment because a community on the mainland could also be considered just as vulnerable as an island community.

The reason it is a political decision to make the recommendation is that there is a lot of pent up fear about what will happen. The voluntary testing will not be a barrier to the virus spread to the islands if the numbers start climbing again. Yet the island communities and businesses need tourist revenue, as much as anywhere else does that relies on tourist income. Therefore the recommendation by the government tries to balance these two things. It’s irrational because it is not being applied to other communities on the mainland.

There is nothing specially fragile about island communities and the virus. If anything they have more robust methods of controlling an outbreak, which is probably inevitable.

The reason island fear outbreaks is that there is very little scope to treat covid on the islands as the hospitals are so small and lack intensive care capacity or the space for isolation wards.

Also the belief that islanders are desperate or reliant on tourism is false. Hospitality providers shout and scream a lot so get noticed more - but a lot of islanders would be very happy if tourism disappeared ..

Also bear in mind this is about showing respect for islanders - and isolated communities that have been covid free. A spike after lockdown will be blamed squarely on visitors with the consequent lack of welcome for future visitors

 

[ctva]

And anyone with any respect for the islanders they are going to visit should do it?

Do the islanders take a test every time they come to the mainland or go to another island, say Great Britain which is an island?

They are no different to any other community in the UK and should give and receive the same respect and curtesy regardless. As others have said, political posturing.

 

[SaltIre]

Do the islanders take a test every time they come to the mainland or go to another island, say Great Britain which is an island?

They are no different to any other community in the UK and should give and receive the same respect and curtesy regardless. As others have said, political posturing.

They have very limited access to healthcare. Nearest ITU is Paisley or Inverness - take your pick. OK NHS Scotland has yellow budgies to reduce transfer times, but I suggest island communities are not "no different to any other community in the UK."

 

[dunedin]

But you have to say that you have been told to take the test and you need to have a working mobile phone handy. Which at the bottom of my Galloway valley I do not.

Yes I tried to order the tests online and for Scotland it wasn't possible if you accurately answered the questions. Clearly SG hadn’t planned ahead and updated the site before the announcement (in spite of 4 weeks or so planning the access to the Islands). And not available from our local medical practice or pharmacies.
Apparently will be available to order from Monday - but with current postal leadtimes, plus take 3 days before that is probably a week and a half late for any actual travel planned from Monday - but hey ho. It isn’t mandatory anyway.

Good news is that we are at least proceeding to the freeing up from 26th April.

And going back to the topic of this thread, RYA Scotland haven’t seen any need to update their announcement, so presumably staying aboard on anchor is “not prohibited” prior to then anyway.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Yes I tried to order the tests online and for Scotland it wasn't possible if you accurately answered the questions. ....

You can order them, you have been told to use them if visiting the islands, so just tick the advised by local authority box.

It could not be any easier. I use the service regularly due to the nature of my job and traveling.

No dishonesty required.