NICOLA Sturgeon has apologised after she breached Scottish Government Covid rules by taking her face mask off at a wake.

A picture obtained by the Scottish Sun shows the First Minister standing at a bar, talking to three people. Though she is some distance from them, her face is uncovered.

According to the guidance, customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated. Breaches are punishable by a fixed penalty notice of £60.

The SNP leader was attending a wake at the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Edinburgh.

She had earlier been at a funeral at nearby Mortonhall Crematorium for a Scottish government civil servant who died after contracting Covid.

In a statement, the First Minister said: "Last Friday, while attending a funeral wake, I had my mask off briefly.

"This was a stupid mistake and I'm really sorry. "I talk every day about the importance of masks, so I'm not going to offer any excuses.

"I was in the wrong, I'm kicking myself, and I'm sorry."

The Scottish Tories said the First Minister should have known better. 

A spokesman said: "By forgetting the rules and failing to set a proper example, she’s undermining essential public health messaging.

"It's a blunder that an ordinary member of the public wouldn't get away with. There cannot be one rule for Nicola Sturgeon and another for everyone else."

Scottish Government Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf came to the First Minister's defence. 

He tweeted: "FM has approached pandemic by being upfront from v beginning. She has apologised for accidental lapse (which I suspect most of us have had one over last 9 months). I've known her for 15yrs & she is her harshest critic. I am sure most ppl will understand, accept apology & move on."

Scotland’s national clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “I think the First Minister knows this matters, I think she’s as furious with herself as some might be with her.

“We had a brief conversation last night and she’s absolutely mad at this little lapse in concentration.

“It’s so easily done, we live in a completely different world from a year ago, don’t we?”

He said Sturgeon was “just about out the door and was called back”.

He added: “Her mask was off because she was leaving, and then [she went] back in and [had] a little lapse – didn’t put it back on.

“It just reinforces again to all of us the nature of these instructions and this virus, and she is as mad with herself as everybody else.”