Before the Covid-19 pandemic struck, deciding to go for a gentle stroll wouldn’t have taken a second’s thought.

That time seems long ago.

As infections and deaths continue to rise, and with a lockdown in place, venturing outdoors has become a source of anxiety.

Under regulations aimed at minimising the spread of the virus and reducing pressure on the NHS, citizens are allowed to leave their homes for one form of exercise a day.

However, they must be alone or with members of their household, and maintain a distance of at least two metres between themselves and other people.

Recent reports of angry scenes as police officers crack down on those considered to be in breach of the rules have only added to a sense of gloom and tension.

Now a charity is bidding to lighten the mood while urging Scots to look after their health by taking a daily walk.

New online guidance from Paths for All will also help people stay active indoors, connect with nature outside and encourage individuals working from home to move more.

Ian Findlay, the charity’s chief officer, said that, as long as citizens obey “crystal clear” advice, there would be no need to worry when leaving home.

“One of the things you can do is take exercise once a day if you are not displaying symptoms and following the rules,” he said.

“Stay local, don’t travel and observe social distancing, and you can go for a walk with your household or alone.

“So long as people follow the rules then they should feel confident about going for a walk.

“The evidence is very clear that the benefits of going for a walk and of exercise are huge for both physical and mental health.”

The new advice from Paths For All also has tips on route selection and suggests ways in which walkers can enhance their connection with nature.

These include taking note of wild animals or interesting plant species, as well as paying attention to sounds such as birdsong and leaves rustling.

Mr Findlay added: “It’s good for our mood and our mental health. “Just going out and watching the clouds go by, looking at flowers, listening to birdsong are all ways in which we can improve our mood and keep ourselves physically and mentally healthy during this very stressful time.”

For those living in remote and rural locations, enjoying a walk while respecting social distancing rules can probably be achieved without too much planning and stress.

However, doing so in a densely populated town or city is an altogether different proposition, particularly for those occupying high rise accommodation.

But Mr Findlay said surroundings shouldn’t be viewed as a barrier to getting regular exercise during the pandemic.

And, he added, experiencing the richness of nature is also possible from home.

“We all live somewhere where we can potentially go for a walk, as long as we follow the rules, whether it’s a rural setting or an urban environment,” he said.

“In an urban setting there are green spaces, so if you have one near you then you can go for a walk – but it’s even simpler than that.

“Even if you open your window and listen to bird song or watch the clouds go by, these things all improve our mood no matter where you live.

“You can still be active within the house and have virtual contact with nature.

“Every household has a window and if you look out of that window, you can see the sky, the sun, the clouds.

“Even taking the time to do that can have mental and physical benefits.

“Lots of us are lucky enough to have gardens. We can be physically active in our gardens and experience nature.”

Mr Findlay stressed that his charity’s advice was fully compliant with public health regulations aimed at tackling the coronavirus outbreak.

“We have been extremely careful in putting the guidance together to be 100 per cent consistent with the rules coming from the Government and the Government’s advisors,” he added.

Police, meanwhile, said they were aware of some people driving to parks but insist the majority of citizens are following regulations on leaving home and social distancing.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “We’ve had high visibility patrols in place right across the country since we were given these enforcement powers. But it’s clear that the vast majority of people are complying with the measures.

“They know the message is to stay at home, and by and large, they’re doing that. Where our officers have encountered people outside, they’ve been able to engage with them or educate them on why it’s so important to follow the guidance from our public health experts in order to save lives and protect the NHS.

“There will always be people who refuse to comply, but the low number of penalty notices shows they are in the minority and in those cases we’ve had to use enforcement as a last resort.

“This is a big change to the way people live their lives and they need to adjust to that.

“There were issues with people driving to some outdoor spaces such as parks and we will address this, working with our partners in local authorities where appropriate.”

Mr Graham said the powers handed to police were “extraordinary” and not ones he and his officers would normally wish to have. He added that the public were being supportive.

“We police with the consent of the communities we serve, so a positive relationship with those communities is of huge importance to us,” he said.

Echoing Mr Findlay’s claim that the best of the outside world can be enjoyed “virtually”, Edinburgh Science Festival (ESF) and the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) have both launched major online projects.

ESF chiefs said their Elements of #EdSciFest programme would be a “digital reiteration of the Festival which had to be cancelled in light of the Covid19 pandemic”.

It will explore science’s role in addressing global environmental challenges through five strands – air, earth, fire, water and aether, with the latter representing the digital world.

NTS, meanwhile, said Scenes for Survival would be a new season of digital short artworks featuring pieces of theatre across a series of online platforms and channels.