| | | Sam Shedden | | Engagement Editor |
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Good morning, It's time for us all to rediscover Scotland. Today marks a significant milestone on the long road to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. At last, non-essential shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, galleries, museums and gyms can reopen, albeit with limitations. As the days lengthen, hopes grow that this summer life will be as close to normal as it has been since lockdown began in March last year. Today is the most drastic easing of pandemic restrictions Scotland has seen, but in part at least, we've been here before. Rules have relaxed, only to be tightened again. This time feels different. Maybe it's the fact that after 13 months we're so far at the end of our collective tether that no-one can take any more bad news, but there really does seem to be more of a sense of optimism among public health officials and experts than there has ever been before. We'll be covering it all today. The family reunions, the smiling business owners, the queues along high streets and the thirsty drinkers toasting this day in beer gardens. You can get a sense of the atmosphere across the nation from our roving reporters featured in our live blog. "By supporting local businesses you are helping protect the jobs of those who live around you." Retail and tourism chiefs have issued a rallying call to support businesses battling for survival as Scotland. We must all play our part to ensure the local shops we love do not disappear. If you can afford to, spend your spare cash at independent Scottish shops this summer. If you need a refresher of all the significant rule changes today we detail them in full here. We've also heard from the Scottish music industry. Brian Ferguson reports an industry campaign backed by Biffy Clyro, Mogwai, Primal Scream, Deacon Blue, KT Tunstall and The Proclaimers has warned that the sector has been left on the “brink of collapse.” Outside the cities, fines have been dished out as Scots swamp the nation's beauty spots. Car parks near many of Scotland’s most popular beaches, lochs and hills were at capacity early on Saturday and Sunday as the thousands poured out of urban areas. Meanwhile, in business, Standard Life Aberdeen has ditched its name for 'agile, digitally-enabled' Abrdn brand. What do you think of the new name? Have your say in the comments below the article. Finally, did you catch the latest episode of Line of Duty last night? It was another hair-raising night which left reviewer Aidan Smith pondering the mean of life. Be warned: the review is full of spoilers! You can get unlimited access to thousands of quality Scottish stories a month with a digital subscription to The Scotsman. Exclusives, expert analysis, thought-provoking politics coverage, agenda-setting opinion, fascinating features and much more. Subscribe today from just £3 a month. There are no obligations once you join. Thanks for reading, more headlines below. Sam Shedden | 