Hundreds demonstrate at Holyrood over coronavirus restrictions

Protesters opposed to Covid-19 restrictions have gathered in their hundreds outside the Scottish Parliament.

Coronavirus sceptics, vaccine conspiracy theorists and those opposed to measures such as mandatory mask-wearing have staged a rally at Holyrood, chanting and making speeches criticising lockdown.

Hundreds marched to the parliament building in Edinburgh with flags and placards for the Scotland Against Lockdown protest, organised by the Saving Scotland Facebook group.

A post advertising the event said: Time to stand up together, and listen to real scientific evidence in regards to the health of the Scottish people.

This evidence is being buried by MSM, big pharma and more than a few politicians.

Lockdown is causing more harm than the virus. We stand for the freedom to choose.

No to mandatory vaccines and masks. No to secondary lockdowns.

We are a large group of concerned individuals that realise the damage this can do to our children, the economy etc.''

The protest was taking place as the Scottish Government released the latest Covid-19 statistics showing 997 people had tested positive for coronavirus in the past week - the largest weekly increase since May.

A total of 2,496 people confirmed as having the disease have died in Scotland, while the number of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 now stands at 21,189.