So now we are allowed to visit second homes.......

[Loadsadosh]

Is this a case of do what I say, not what I do......
“The Chief Medical Officer in Scotland, Catherine Calderwood, 51, was snapped strolling across a golf course with her husband and kids after flouting lockdown advice by heading to her coastal property this weekend.”

The response from the Scottish Government......
”An SNP Government spokesman replied: “Since this start of this epidemic, the CMO has been working seven days a week preparing Scotland’s response.
“She took the opportunity this weekend to check on a family home in Fife as she knows she will not be back again until the crisis is over.
“She stayed overnight before returning to Edinburgh. In line with guidance she stayed within her own household group and observed social distancing with anyone she was in passing in the village.”

I am sure everyone else who has a second home would like to use it, or check on it, as well! Am I being unfair in thinking this is double standards and an absolute disgrace that this has been defended by a Government spokesman.

Has it ever been said that we can’t visit second homes?

I know in Scotland it has been frowned upon to descend on the highlands when resources are scarce up there

Utterly appalling. Checking on your holiday home is not an essential journey! She should be sacked for this and the Scottish govt should NOT be defending her!

It has been said hasn’t it? It was on the news a couple of weeks ago telling people to stay away from the Lakes and suchlike.
One rule for one!!

We are not supposed to undertake non essential journeys.

Going to a second home is a non essential journey, so she has broken the rules and not followed guidelines.

There has been a constant concern that people travelling from hotspots to second properties could spread the virus. The government should have clearly banned it but they haven't. Consistently people travelling have spread the virus. Non essential travel isn't it.

Not an essential journey, I agree.

Of course it's been said, sufferingsandra!

Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People must remain in their primary residence. Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk.

Prince Charles, the Queen and the Cambridges set the precedent.

I've seen the sort of preparation that's been going on in non-medical sectors to try to adjust and adapt to the crisis, I can't even imagine what the medical professionals are going through. Ideally she wouldn't travel, but I think medical professionals need to be cut a bit more slack than your average person who's considering a second shopping trip or walk.

Outrageous. Especially that the government should defend her!

My MIL has allowed an NHS worker to live in her second home because his father (who lives in the village) is vulnerable.
We were meant to be travelling down today. I’m just hoping we will get to go in the summer. It is totally irresponsible to go.

This example shows how many people have second homes but never get to know the people and communities there. If she bothered to get involved in the local life she would know someone who could check on it for her.

Ah yes @Sindragosan I expect all the nurses are planning trips to their second homes this weekend. Don't be ridiculous.

We have a second home (we aren't rich. It is late MIL's house that we are trying to sell). The heating needed turning off so we posted a key to a neighbour so that he could switch the heating off for us. There was no way that we were going to have a 6 hour return trip just to switch the heating off.

The problem with most people's second or holiday homes is that they are in places which are protected from Coronavirus by their seclusion and do not have the local infrastructure to deal with more people, especially if those people become ill.

@sindragosan yes the ones having most contact with patients should be permitted to travel anywhere they like..........

@Sindragosan nobody should have special treatment when it comes to the guidelines. Nurses and doctors working 7 day weeks still have to abide by the rules.

I agree.

I find this upsetting and hypocritical as I can't see my mother. Not even to wave outside. She lives 120 miles away and the journey is non essential.

Bollocks. There absolutely cannot be varying standards and rules depending on the perceived importance of the individual. We are constantly being told "We are all in this together," and "This virus does not distinguish between rich and poor," blah blah blah.

Not to mention undermining guidance given by the government and having others thinking "Well, if she's doing it, of all people, then it must be okay. "

Very foolish.

And medical professionals ESPECIALLY should understand the severity of the situation and the importance of staying home. My mum is frontline NHS and is seeing the devastation first hand, she wouldn't dream of flouting the guidelines.

That was to Sindrasogan.

What @JosephineKarlsson said. Especially Charles who KNEW he was infected and still did the travelling, then “self isolated”. Let me guess, he was on his own...

She is flouting the rules..

But isn't Scotland doing it's own thing here? Nicola Sturgeon makes the rules for them doesn't she?

We have a second home. We wanted to go and check on it before the lockdown, weren't even going to stay overnight, just do the 6hr return drive, go in, check all was well, turn around and come home. No quick walk in the woods, no stop at our favourite cafe (which was still open at that point), just drive up, check, drive home. And we didn’t because by that point the ‘don’t go to your second homes’ message was the headline news.

I think this is a huge misjudgement on her part and it’s wrong of the Scottish Govt to try and explain it away like that.

Don't travel, oh unless you are rich enough to own a second home. This group are fine as their virus isn't the same as us scrummy people with one home.