Hairdressers, homeware shops and garden centres reopen in Scotland

5 April 2021, 08:50 | Updated: 5 April 2021, 18:53

Further coronavirus restrictions have been lifted in Scotland.

Hairdressers and barbers can reopen from today along with some non-essential shops, including garden centres and homeware stores, as lockdown measures are eased.

Tony Mann opened his barber shop in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, at 6am to enable people to get their hair cut for the first time in months.

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It will be a busy day for the four barbers working, with 96 customers booked in for today and doors staying open until 8pm.

Mr Mann said: "It's been four months since the last day we cut hair so the feeling today is slight anxiety and slight worry, like 'is everything going to go to plan', but I'm also feeling really excited and happy because my shop is open again.

"We start at 6am and finish at 8pm. I didn't fancy doing another 24-hour shift this time but we're open long enough. Last time we did 24 hours but what I've come to realise is doing shifts like that is not good for you."

He said customers have been delighted to be able to book haircuts again.

Mr Mann said: "It's mental health, getting a haircut and making yourself feel good is a big part of life, and if you can't make yourself feel good and you only get it from a small variety of places then you're not going to be in a particularly good place."

His brother Maxx Mann was one of the first people in Scotland to get a haircut on Monday and was delighted with the result.

He said: "It's a good feeling. It's been a long few months but it's always worth the wait if you know you're coming for Tony to cut your hair.

"I usually get my hair cut one every week or once every 10 days so to go months and months without isn't ideal, I'm sure the general public probably feel the same."

As part of the lockdown easing university and college students will return for in-person teaching, and outdoor contact sports for 12 to 17-year-olds will restart.

Click-and-collect services will also resume.

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Visits to hairdressers and barbers must be booked in advance.

Monday's move will be followed on April 26 with a wider reopening of the economy, with beer gardens and gyms returning to trading and more people being able to meet outdoors and inside public places.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said she hopes the country will return to normality by the summer.

Monday's opening has been welcomed by retail groups but hospitality businesses have been more sceptical.

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association said pubs will have missed out on selling eight million pints at Easter due to the fact they remain closed.