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Scotland’s chief medical officer has said she is ‘truly sorry’ for travelling to her second home amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Dr Catherine Calderwood faced calls to step down from her post after she was photographed walking with family members close to a coastal retreat in Earlsferry. Her main residence is in Edinburgh, more than an hour’s drive away.

Speaking publicly today, Dr Calderwood said she apologised ‘unreservedly’ for travelling away from her home while restrictions are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The virus has killed 4,934 people in the UK.

She continued: ‘As well as this weekend, it is important to be clear that I was also there last weekend with my husband. I did not follow the advice I am giving to others. I am truly sorry for that.


Dr Catherine Calderwood apologised for her actions today (Picture: Sky)

She will not be stepping down from her post as Scotland’s chief medical officer (Picture: PA)

‘I’ve seen a lot of the comments from members of the public on Twitter today, people calling me a hypocrite, people telling me about the hardships they’ve endured while following my guidance.



‘My office has also received emails from members of the public who have made clear to me their disappointment and unhappiness with what I’ve done. People have told me I am irresponsible, and that I have behaved as if my advice does not apply to me.

‘I want people to know I have seen all of that, and I have heard the comments. What I did was wrong and I am very sorry. It will not happen again.’

Dr Calderwood went on to add how ‘important’ her guidance had been, stating that she did not want to ‘distract’ others from following the restrictions.

Members of the public have accused Dr Calderwood of ignoring her own advice (Picture: Getty Images)

Dr Calderwood apologised to the police (Picture: Getty Images)

She said she hoped that her actions would not make the jobs of police officers and NHS workers any harder.

Confirming that she would not be stepping down as CMO, Dr Calderwood said: ‘This was a mistake. Human error, and there is no excuse. I should not have done what I did, and I very sorry about that.’

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Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon agreed that Dr Calderwood’s actions had been ‘wrong’, but said she had been doing ‘extremely well’ as CMO.

She continued: ‘All of us, including me, will make mistakes in these unprecedented times we are living in. When we do we must be candid about it and learn from it.’

Sturgeon said Dr Calderwood is now learning from her error, and added: ‘Over the past few weeks, as we have been dealing with this crisis, her advice and expertise has been invaluable to me.’

In a statement issued on Twitter, Police Scotland said officers had visited Dr Calderwood and spoken to her about her actions, as well as reiterating the government’s advice.

Chief Constable lain Livingstone said: ‘Social distancing is the key intervention to curtail the spread of coronavirus and it is essential the instructions are followed to protect each other, support key workers, take strain from the NHS, and save lives.

‘Individuals must not make personal exemptions bespoke to their own circumstances.’