Glasgow (AFP)

No matter the cold and the gray: in Glasgow, the Scots enjoyed pints of beers and cocktails on Monday to celebrate the reopening of pubs, closed since December because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's incredible," Gary McWilliams, 20, told AFP.

"There is such a difference between a pint that has been served (at the pub) and a can at home," he compares enthusiastically.

"But I think for most people, myself included, it's less about drinking a real beer than meeting a friend. It's really part of Scottish culture," he explains.

Due to the pandemic, pubs closed on December 26 in Scotland.

They can now reopen, such as "non-essential" businesses, gymnasiums, swimming pools and beauty salons.

Some patrons of The Counting House pub in central Glasgow lined up for hours before it opened at 9am.

With her friend Charlotte Taylor, 19, she discusses what to order.

"I just want a few pitchers of cocktails, I miss the cocktails and the pints," she slips.

At another table, a group of three young women are also ordering cocktails, amid laughter.

“I missed two of my birthdays because of the confinement so I'm here with a little cocktail at 10:43 am,” explains one of them, Suzanna Golebiewska, a 22-year-old student who has just been shopping.

Around them, most drinkers opt for pints of beer to convey the traditional Scottish breakfasts, which are rich in deep frying.

- "Long road" -

In the United Kingdom, the country in Europe most bereaved by the coronavirus pandemic with more than 127,000 dead, each nation manages its own calendar in terms of deconfinement.

In England, for example, pubs reopened on April 12 and as in Scotland, alcohol must be consumed outside.

In contrast, in Scotland, guests can dine inside cafes and restaurants.

The English will have to wait until May 17.

Adrian Carey and his 19-year-old son Thomas have come from Belfast on business - and are taking the opportunity to have a breakfast boasting a pint.

In Northern Ireland, "there aren't any pubs, restaurants or anything open yet," says Adrian, who works in renewable energy, and is celebrating his 55th birthday.

After an unprecedented year, he finds this experience "a little surreal".

Pub manager Mick Murphy, 43, has counted the days since the establishment closed.

“It has been a long way, but I hope we are back on the road to normalcy,” he says.

The Scottish deconfinement comes a few days before the local elections of May 6 which will give an indication of the thirst for independence of the Scots.

The SNP, the independence party at the head of the local government, has pledged to press for a new referendum on independence as soon as the health situation is under control.

The election campaign so far has been rather low-key due to the pandemic, with few posters or announcements on the streets of Glasgow.

But it should be stepping up a gear now that more and more people are leaving their homes.

© 2021 AFP