Dozens of holiday-makers jetted off to Portugal today for their first sunshine break in more than a year.
Ryanair resumed its flights from Aberdeen International Airport to Faro, with people quick to snap up the chance to escape for a break in the sun.
More than 100 people were on the first flight this morning, including best friends Amanda Gray and Jessica Kennedy who were looking forward to “11 days in paradise”.
The pair was “absolutely thrilled” to finally have the chance to take a “well-deserved escape from reality”, and couldn’t hide their smiles – even from behind their masks.
For Miss Gray, the break comes after a difficult year of shielding to protect her younger brother.
‘We are excited like kids on Christmas morning’
Miss Gray said: “We just wanted to get away, relax and forget that Covid is happening for a while.
“I think everybody needs some normality back and that’s probably why all of these people are on this flight today.
“We were literally like kids on Christmas morning when we woke up – so excited.
“We’ve got a few beach clubs and restaurants already booked and we can’t wait to get on that plane.”
For Miss Gray, the holiday to Vilamoura – a resort in south Portugal – is much-needed.
The 28-year-old from Inverurie spent nearly nine months shielding to protect her brother Jason, who suffers from cystic fibrosis.
As a lung-transplant patient, the 30-year-old was put in the “high-risk” group of contracting the virus at the beginning of the pandemic last March.
Miss Gray said: “My family had to spent a total of nine months in complete isolation, because my brother is terminally ill.
“And it’s been really hard – it felt like we had been in jail all this time and now we finally got our freedom back.
“I think we found it a lot harder than other people did, because we couldn’t go out for a walk or meet our friends even from a distance.
“Luckily we had a good support system of family and friends that were there to help us, but it’s a lot more difficult for people who are terminally ill in that shielding community.”
She added: “During the first lockdown we were really scared, because we needed to keep my brother safe.
“But now we’ve all got the two jabs and my brother is doing well, so I’m not nervous or scared for the fact that both I and my family are covered.
“There is no point in being scared, as long as you’re being careful.
“You’ve got one life so you might as well get on a flight and go enjoy yourself.”
“The one thing that Covid has shown is that life is too short and I think so many people will be doing a lot more this year than every other.”
‘Breath of fresh air’
Miss Gray’s holiday buddy, Jessica Kennedy, also said the holiday is like “a breath of fresh air” after several difficult months.
The 29-year-old said: “I was made redundant in November so I was driving myself crazy at home.
“I just need to forget about everything and chill out for a bit.
“We literally booked in a day – as soon as we knew that we can go, we bought the tickets.
“It’s nice to just get out of the house and not be stuck at home and I genuinely can’t wait to walk that aisle and get on the plane.”
Mother-of-two Gillian Leith was also eager to hop on the plane to Portugal for a delayed family holiday.
The 32-year-old and her husband Robbie said they can’t wait to head to the beach and relax with their children and family friends.
Holiday welcome – but preparations stressful
However, Mrs Leith found the process of getting ready for the flight “really stressful”.
Under the restrictions, people who fly abroad need to take a Covid test three days before they travel.
When boarding the plane, they also need to provide proof that they have taken the test, and that the result was negative.
Mrs Leith said: “We actually had the flight booked 16 months ago, but of course, it got cancelled because of Covid.
“We looked at the numbers of Covid cases and it’s pretty much the same as here, and there are a lot more outdoor places there, so we believe we’ll be safe and everything will be fine.
“However, there are a lot of things to think about and of course the restrictions in Scotland and Portugal are different.
“We didn’t get the kids’ test until this morning, so the whole procedure was really stressful.”
She added: “I think we’ve all deserved a good holiday after everything that’s happened.
“I think are all looking forward to heading to the beach with the kids, get some ice cream and just relax.”
Airport welcomes holiday-makers back
International travel from most parts of Scotland has been allowed since May 17.
Portugal is currently one of 13 countries that have been added to the green list, with Scots allowed to fly to them without quarantining on the way there and back.
An spokesman for AGS Airports Ltd, which owns Aberdeen International Airport said: “It is great to see the restart of routes like Faro with Ryanair today at Aberdeen International Airport.
“Bringing back business safely is a key priority at our airports and travel to Faro will help strengthen Aberdeen’s connectivity, providing options for passengers to enjoy a much needed break.”