Nicola Sturgeon reveals hopes for staycation next month to celebrate birthday

A further easing of Covid-19 rules is expected to be announced tomorrow, including allowing greater social interaction. 

Phase two could also pave the way for the reopening of smaller shops, some factories and other non-office indoor workplaces.

Meanwhile, pubs and restaurants could be able to open outdoor areas.

Hospitality and tourism businesses, such as hotels and the indoor areas of pubs and restaurants, have been told to prepare to reopen on July 15.

Ms Sturgeon spoke of her hopes during a radio interview on Capital Scotland Drive with Katy J. 

She was asked where she will head when lockdown is relaxed, and if she had any Munros she wanted to bag. 

The First Minister said: “I think I’d have to do a bit of training and get a bit fitter than I am just now if I was to try and bag a Munro, but who knows. 

“So, when I’m able to, seeing more of my family is obviously something I’m keen to do. 

“It was quite difficult going to see my mum and dad on Sunday because my sister lives close by but I could only see one other household so I had to choose my mum and dad over my sister, which as you can imagine, didn’t go down very well. 

“So being able to see them together is something I really looking forward to, even if that is outside.

“And, you know, obviously when hopefully from about the middle of July we are able to allow the tourist industry to open up again, then supporting the Scottish tourist industry, maybe getting away for a weekend. 

“Because around about that time I will also celebrate a particular birthday and also my tenth wedding anniversary so my husband – if he’s listening – can take this as a hint that we need to support the tourist industry. 

“He needs to support the tourist industry by arranging some kind of small staycation for me.”

Ms Sturgeon is married to Peter Murrell, the chief executive of the SNP.

Elsewhere, the First Minister said visiting her parents, Robin and Joan, for the first time in months over the weekend was “odd, but in a nice way”.

She said: “ I hadn’t seen them – like most people – for a while, probably about three months so it felt a bit odd being with people, even my mum and dad, that I hadn’t seen for ages. 

“But it was nice, it was quite brief and it was in the garden - thankfully it was a nice night and the rain stayed off. 

“In fact, it was quite warm, so yeah it was nice but hopefully I’ll get to spend a bit more time with them over the weeks to come.”

She previously shared a post on her Instagram page of the meeting, including a picture of both of her parents in their garden.

The First Minister said decisions on a further easing of lockdown restrictions will be announced tomorrow.

She said: “I don’t think we’re going to immediately see a lifting of the advice to people to stay quite local for leisure and recreation but of course you can travel longer than that right now to see family, but up until now of course we’ve been saying to people – and I would imagine this will continue – to stay outdoors if you see people in another household and don’t go indoors even to use the toilet. 

“So that’s something we’re looking at, can we ease that particular restriction. 

“Because that would make it more possible I guess for you to make the trip to Aberdeen to see your mum, if you were able to use the toilet. So we want to make these things easier.

“Now the really important thing I’ve got to stress is we’ve got to still be very careful, because although numbers of cases of the virus and thankfully numbers of people dying or getting very ill with it are declining quite rapidly, it hasn’t gone away. It’s still out there. 

“We see in other countries right now – China is dealing with a new outbreak, some parts of America are seeing cases going up again. 

“So it’s still a big danger and that means we’ve still got to be careful and take things step by step, which actually it gets harder for me to persuade people of that the more we see levels of the infection reduce, but actually it continues to be really important that we don’t get reckless and take too many steps too quickly that then allows it to spread again.”

During the Capital Scotland radio show Ms Sturgeon was also asked how she looks after her own mental and emotional wellbeing.

She said: “It’s been difficult I guess over the last wee while because I have been so busy trying to deal with this day by day but I’ve got a great husband at home who, you know, helps to look after me and make sure I’m not getting too stressed out about things.

“And I suppose, every now and again, I’ve just tried to take a step back and try to focus on the positives, which during a time like this is not easy to do but there have been positives out of this.

“I think the sense of collective and community spirit that we found over the past three months has been really inspiring.

“We’ve all done the right thing not just for ourselves but for each other and I hope as we come out of the crisis and get back to normal, we don’t lose all of that, that we actually remember that, you know, whether it’s enjoying spending a bit more time with immediate family in your own household, or just getting off the treadmill a little bit for some people, that we just remember what really matters in life. Our family matters, having good health matters and community and looking out for each other matters and we should try and hold on to all of these things”

Asked what music she listens to after a long day at work, she admitted she was a a “hopeless 80s person”.