Face coverings are to become mandatory in Scotland's shops from July 10, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The new rule comes just two weeks after passengers on public transport were told they must cover their faces when travelling.
Some Scots across the country have already been practising the habit of wearing face masks when out in public, but as covering up becomes a legal requirement, many of us are now in the market for a quality face mask.
Of course, major fashion brands such as ASOS, Boohoo and River Island were quick to get in on the action and are selling masks online.
But if independent and Scottish-made masks are more your style, here is our rundown of where in Scotland is selling the world’s latest hot commodity.
Brora
With Scottish cashmere at its heart, luxury clothing brand Brora began producing face masks for both adults and children from the surplus material at one of their Portuguese factories making PPE.
Edinburgh store manager Sophie Hopkinson said: “We really wanted to come up with a great idea to give back, so £10 from every mask will go to NHS charities and other small charities.
“They are really nice to wear since they’re a natural fibre, and ever since we opened they’ve been incredibly popular."
Breathe Easy
When the pandemic hit, engineer and entrepreneur Gavin McAdam got to work creating masks.
His Edinburgh-based start-up Breathe Easy began by asking only for donations to try and help the third-party care sector and vulnerable groups get access to quality medical-grade face masks.
And when someone got in touch asking if Mr McAdam could create a face mask for their deaf son, the company set about creating and trialling a cotton face mask with a transparent plastic face panel.
Now Breathe Easy continues to issue free face masks to a variety of charities around Scotland, but also sells both full cotton masks and those with transparent panels for deaf and hard of hearing communities on their website.
Owner Gavin McAdam said: “We’re growing all the time and employing more people to keep up with demand.
“We’re also working in partnership with the National Manufacturing Institute and Glasgow University in the development of a novel material that has natural microbial properties, engineered to capture the exact particle size of the Covid-19 virus.
"We will be trialling the first of these masks in two or three weeks."
Slanj Kilts
Slanj Kilts recently came into the limelight when Nicola Sturgeon was seen wearing one of their latest wares.
The First Minister was spotted modelling the homeless tartan design, which sees 20% of all its sales donated to Shelter.
General Manager Ross Lyall said: “We started making face masks in February in anticipation of lockdown. Sales were trickling through, but then of course Nicola wore our mask, and it went mental.
“The traditional kilt business is dependent on the wedding industry, so we were very worried about the way things are at the moment and asking ourselves where the money is going to come from if there are no weddings.
“Suddenly we had thousands of orders going through, so we are currently trying to recruit as many sowers as possible to keep up with demand.”
Mischke Lingerie
As an Aberdeen-based brand known for its lingerie, this company is now also producing cloth masks in a variety of different colours and prints, with a pocket for a filter, for only £8.50.
Designer Hazel Lethaby, founder of Mischke Lingerie said: "We have a passion for making small and beautiful things and firmly believe that the Devil is in the detail.
"I started making masks as I saw a need to use my skills to produce something for the general public so that there was no need for people to buy up supplies of medical grade equipment.
"The masks I make are not designed as PPE but can be worn to comply with the guidelines in stores and on public transport.
"I am using mainly 100% cotton gingham as it has a stylish and playful look and its easy to wash, making the masks more sustainable. The design is also zero waste, there are no offcuts!"
Mirka Bridal Couture
Owner of this Kirkaldy bridal store Mirka Jankowska has been hard at work collaborating with Laila Lettering to produce limited edition face masks during lockdown.
For each face mask purchase Mirka Bridal Couture are donating a face mask to the Children’s Oncology Ward in Edinburgh who are in need of reusable face masks for their young patients and their families.
Julie Macintyre Handmade Bags (Tweedcraft)
Julie Macintyre, from Dalkieth near Edinburgh has pressed pause on making bags to create beautiful Harris Tweed face masks.
After trialling several designs she found that the above product, with 100% cotton lining, was most comfortable to wear.
Handmade by Dot
This independent store has added face masks to its list of handmade items, which already includes bottle light lamps, hand-knitted items, handmade cards, and jewellery.
The face masks come in a wide range of colours and patterns, are washable and double lined with a filter pocket.
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