NICOLA Sturgeon has added to the criticism of the writer Neil Gaiman after he travelled more than 11,000 miles to his home on Skye, in breach of Scotland’s lockdown rules.

The First Minister said her message to Mr Gaiman and others was that it was wrong to travel for non-essential reasons as it could spread the disease and prolong the lockdown.

Mr Gaiman, the best-selling author of American Gods and Good Omens, revealed on his blog that he had flown from his home in New Zealand to Scotland.

He said the relationship with his wife Amanda had been a factor, and he wanted to "isolate easily" after the couple agreed they "needed to give each other some space".

He said he had flown "masked and gloved" from Auckland Airport to Los Angeles and then on to London before borrowing a friend's car and driving north to Skye.

However only essential journeys are permitted under lockdown rules in Scotland, with Ms Sturgeon stressing her message remains "stay at home".

Police Scotland said officers had now given “suitable advice” to the 59-year-old writer. 

Asked about Mr Gaiman at her daily coronavirus briefing, the First Minister said travelling to remote parts of the country risked spreading the virus and putting pressure on local services.

She said: “It seems to me right that the police had that conversation with him. I don’t want to personalise my comments here. So I’ll make them general.

“People should obey the rules right now because they’re in place for a purpose. They’re in place to protect public health and to try to suppress this virus.

“So do not do it. We’ve been very clear about that. You should not be travelling away from your home apart from in the essential circumstances that we cover here on a daily basis.

"So that's my message to Neil Gaiman, and it's my message to everybody. 

“That the more we stick with this right now, the sooner we will get to the point I spoke about earlier where we start to take these concrete steps back to normality.

“But every time we have people breaching the rules, we risk a resurgence of the virus.

“We provide it with bridges to travel over.

“Therefore the risk we are taking is not just that we are putting more people’s lives on the line, but we are actually delaying the point we get out the situation we are in.

“So it’s not worth it in my view to do these things. Please don’t do it.”

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who is also the MP for Skye, tweeted: "Can I just remind anyone else thinking of coming to the Highlands this is against the regulations.

"To come from the other end of the planet is gobsmacking. We will welcome all to the Highlands when it is safe to do so. For now stay away."

In response to some criticism online, Mr Gaiman responded: "I'm currently a UK taxpayer and on the Scottish voting rolls. I went home."