Edinburgh couple 'angry' and 'disappointed' as Spain restrictions hit while they visit Barcelona

The couple say they only learnt of the self-isolation measures just hours before they came into effect.
Lynn Black and Michael Tait. Picture: ContributedLynn Black and Michael Tait. Picture: Contributed
Lynn Black and Michael Tait. Picture: Contributed

An Edinburgh couple have expressed their anger after news of a 14-day quarantine caught them off guard while on holiday in Spain.

Lynn Black and Michael Tait were spending a long weekend in Barcelona and enjoying their get-away after months of lockdown.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Black, 29, is disappointed with the Scottish Government’s handling of the situation, saying she learned of the new measure just five hours before it came into action.

She believes Nicola Sturgeon’s office should have given passengers more of a window to return home.

She said: “What were we supposed to do? We couldn’t book a flight and get home in that five hour period.

“I just feel that it doesn’t make sense that someone might have been on a flight on the way home from Spain and they made it, but because I came home a day later I have to quarantine.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There’s still people walking around Scotland that have just returned from Spain. I’m pretty angry in that sense.”

Ms Black says she received no contact from any official contact from the government and might not have known changes had taken places had she not received notice from friends.

She said: “If I hadn’t heard from my friends, I would have come home and been completely unaware. There’s nothing in the airport, there’s one A4 sign. No one mentions it when you’re coming through the gates.”

Ms Black was set to go back to work at the beginning of August but will need to delay her start date.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She says she’s no longer entitled to financial assistance during the 14 day period and that she will likely be losing two weeks worth of wages as a result.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.