Coronavirus: Aberdeen family get green light to end Nepal Lockdown

A family from Aberdeen have been told they can continue their round-the-world trip after having to spend three months in lockdown in a remote town in Nepal.

Kris and Julie Smith and their two children - nine-year-old Erihn and four-year-old Jacob - can now resume their journey to Everest Base Camp.

They left Aberdeen in almost exactly a year ago to fulfil a "big crazy dream" of travelling around the globe.

However, coronavirus lockdown measures came into force in March.

Since then, they have been in a hotel next to an airport runway in Lukla - a small town in the Solukhumbu region - thousands of miles from home.

On Facebook the family wrote: "After much running about by our friend Kevin Sherpa to achieve many signatures from many authorities we have been given the green light to start walking.

"After leaving Kathmandu on the 18th March we only managed a 7 day trek before lockdown arrived. A little break in between of 3 months and off we go again

"Cannot express how excited and grateful we all are that we can continue our walk and our dream to walk onto Sagarmatha National Park and witness the worlds tallest mountain with our own eyes."

Before reaching Nepal, they had been to 18 countries including India, Jordan, Albania, Serbia and Hungary.

Mr Smith, 41, had told BBC Scotland this month that conditions in Lukla were "quite basic" and they only had a stove in the living-room to keep warm at night.

Vietnam and Sri Lanka are among locations the family still hope to reach, added Mrs Smith, 46.