Business owners in Tayside are looking forward to opening their doors once again.
Hairdressers, barbers and garden centres are expected to reopen on April 5, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Tuesday.
The news has been welcomed across Dundee and Angus.
Drew Montgomery, who runs Roe-Bucks in Dundee city centre, said: “To have an actual date is good.
“Just to get out of the full lockdown will be good in fact. I am looking forward to getting back in the shop.”
Mr Montgomery saw a flurry of new customers at Roe-Bucks, the city’s longest-running barbers, when first reopening after the first lockdown but noticed a downturn shortly thereafter.
He added: “At first we were really busy, but after a few weeks it died down.
“A lot of people got clippers for home so they must have got used to doing it themselves.
“Before Covid, it was normal to have a slow day now and again but you would sit there knowing you had a good day coming afterwards.
“But last summer it wasn’t like that at all. We were sitting there with nothing to do for two or three days in a row quite a lot. Hopefully it will not be like that again.”
One of Dundee’s newer hairdresser businesses, Jayne Valentine said she is “really excited” about reopening in April.
She said: “I’ve been provisionally booking people on my waiting list for reopening.
“I say provisionally because things could change but April 5 isn’t too far off so there is reason to be optimistic.
“Hopefully we have a really busy first few days and weeks after opening.
“We’ll be doing extended opening hours to get more bookings in. It’s been a while we’ve had to be closed, so why not?”
Ms Valentine had been cutting hair in the city for more than a decade before opening her own salon, Valentines, on Clepington Road in October last year. However, she was forced to close after just 10 weeks as the second lockdown in Scotland was announced.
She said: “I understand why it had to be done and it was for the greater good but hopefully we can open for longer than 10 weeks this time.”
Forfar florist Michael Ower has been looking across the border with envy as garden centres in England did not close during the second lockdown.
Nevertheless, the owner of Ferngreen Garden Centre, in the town’s Kirriemuir Street, cannot wait to open his doors.
He said: “We have been doing a click and collect service so that has kept us going but it hasn’t been anything like how busy it would have been had we been open.
“Suppliers have understandably been sending stock to English garden centres so there might be some gaps in stock here but it will still be great to open the shop properly in April.
“There will be a one-way system and physical distancing to keep everyone safe. That was one of the things people would say when we reopened over the summer last year, was that it felt safe to be there.
“That’s really important and we’ll work to keep people feeling safe.
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“People are really wanting to get into their gardens and growing again, they tell us. It’s great for physical health and mental wellbeing to be out in the garden.
“There’s the food production element as well and we’ll be selling potato seeds and the like. Gardens tick all the boxes.
“And with the sun coming out, it’s a great time to start growing and spending time in the garden.”
Ross Turriff, owner of Turriff’s Garden Centre and Farm Shop in Broughty Ferry, is also delighted by the news.
He said: “Last year, the first lockdown came just as the garden centres were getting towards their busiest period and this year we are getting to reopen just at the tail end of that busy period, so that is good and we’re really looking forward to getting back at it.”
The farm shop side of the business has remained open during lockdown because it is classed as an essential service but Mr Turriff is still excited to get the garden centre operation up and running again.
He added: “It’s going to be a busy few weeks getting everything set up, but it will be great to welcome customers back and see some smiling faces.”