Nicola Sturgeon today confirmed that pubs and restaurants can reopen indoors from Monday - three weeks ahead of England.
The SNP leader declared that hospitality, shops and gyms can get back up and running next week, hailing the success of the vaccine rollout.
Fronting a Covid briefing amid the hard-fought Holyrood election campaign, she said Scotland will move from Level 4 to Level 3 of the five-tier restrictions.
It means customers will be able to eat and drink indoors - albeit with limits - well before it is allowed south of the border, where the loosening is due on May 17.
Meanwhile, 50 people will be able to attend weddings and funerals, including receptions and wakes, from Monday. In contrast in England, the limit will still be 30 from the middle of next month.
Nicola Sturgeon s aim of a four-day week in Scotland will cost the nation s taxpayers £3billion a year, it was claimed today.
The First Minister yesterday unveiled plans for a £10million pilot scheme if the SNP administration at Holyrood is re-elected in May, which will examine the feasibility of shortening the working week.
It was among a raft of expensive public-spending promises she outlined which included free dental care at the same time as no income tax increase for five years.
But today the Scottish Tories suggested that the cost of implementing a full four-day week across the whole public sector could hit £3billion annually.
Carla Ford ballooned to 16-stone on a diet of Greggs sausage rolls and biscuits
But Carla, 33, from Edinburgh, was told she was on track to get type 2 diabetes
Four months later, Carla decided to lose the weight and dropped four dress sizes
Carla said her weight loss hit home when her daughter Florence, six, hugged her
She said her daughter was thrilled she could wrap her arms around her mother
Luke Garrett, 20, died after suffering a seizure in Tarbolton, South Ayrshire
Mr Garrett had muscular dystrophy and had been shielding for around a year
But he died in the early hours of the morning the day after getting the jab
Mother Tricia Garrett, 49, believes son would still be alive if he didn t get the jab
MHRA are investigating his death but there s no evidence of jab causing seizures
A high-ranking military officer accused of threatening to kill the family dog and bury it in the woods during a campaign of domestic bullying has been cleared.
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Bloodworth, 48, was found not guilty of a year-long campaign of domestic coercion after a three day trial at Perth Sheriff Court, Scotland.
The officer - who was accused of tracking his wife Lisa and controlling her during their marriage - left the court with an unblemished record in the wake of the verdict.
Sheriff Neil Bowie said the Crown had failed to prove its case against the medical officer beyond a reasonable doubt.