Highland League secretary Rod Houston admits it is too difficult to predict when the 2020-21 campaign can resume but remains optimistic the season will be concluded.
They had been suspended since January 11 due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases across the country.
Talks are continuing over when the Highland League, Lowland League, East, West and South of Scotland Leagues, Scottish Junior FA Leagues and the North Caledonian League can begin playing league fixtures again.
The Highland League management committee will meet next week to discuss their next steps after yesterday’s announcement.
The seven Highland League clubs still in the Scottish Cup have also been given the green light to begin preparing for their ties – providing they comply with testing requirements – with the dates expected to be confirmed today.
Houston said: “There is still not enough clarity on other matters with regard to testing to work out what we can do to get other things happening.
“We still have hopes of doing something, but the critical issue is testing.
“At the moment there is an insistence on PCR testing, which is feasible for Highland League clubs for something like the Scottish Cup.
“But for a longer run like a league competition, it would be too big a hit on their resources.
“PCR testing is not cheap, but if something such as lateral flow testing became more clearly acceptable then that would be a game-changer.
“The SFA are putting an awful lot of work into trying to persuade the government that lateral flow has its place.”
When asked how hopeful he was that the 2020-21 season can be played to a finish, Houston said: “There are far too many imponderables to be clear on that.
“I am an optimist by nature and we are trying our level best to get something done.”
Buckie Thistle are among the Highland League teams still in the competition with the Jags waiting to discover the proposed date of their second round home tie against Caley Thistle.
Boss Graeme Stewart accepts getting the Highland League restarted is more problematic without the finances available at the vast majority of clubs to conduct weekly PCR testing.
But Stewart would be open to the idea of continuing the 2020-21 campaign over the summer months, if coronavirus restrictions have been lifted sufficiently by then to allow fans back into grounds.
He said: “We would be delighted if we can play the Scottish Cup game against Inverness.
“I would be even more delighted if there were any fans allowed, but we know that is not looking very likely.
“I have heard an idea that I love about finishing the league.
“If we can get the league going again by the end of April and play through May and June we could get this season over in two-and-a-half months and then go straight into the 2021-22 season without a break.
“If we were getting fans in by then the clubs would be generating some revenue. We are only playing half a league season with 15 games and we’ve only played a few games so far.
“We could get that season played quickly with midweek games and then start the new season straightaway with no pre-season.
“I think the players would be keen because boys hate pre-season.
“The benefit for me is the clubs would be able to generate revenue if we’re playing at a time when we can get supporters in.
“It means we won’t have seven or eight weeks when we wouldn’t be making any money.”