A Church of Scotland minister says a reduction in rough sleeping in Edinburgh since the start of Covid-19 has been one of the "unexpected benefits" of the crisis. 

The Very Rev Dr Russell Bar said many homeless people in the Scottish capital had been moved into hotels and other forms of self-contained accommodation in the last two months. 

Church of Scotland congregations have been playing a part in supporting homeless people during the crisis, with the kitchen in St Cuthbert's Parish Church serving up 1,100 meals over lockdown. 

Stenhouse Church made one of its buildings available to Bethany Christian Trust to provide a shelter for 75 rough sleepers. 

Dr Barr, minister of Cramond Kirk, said the positive impact on rough sleeping in the city showed that homelessness was not "inevitable". 

"Although the impact of Covid-19 has been awful for many individuals and families, one of the unexpected benefits has been to bring an end to people sleeping rough in our towns and cities," said Dr Barr, who is also founder of the Fresh Start homelessness charity and a member of the Scottish Government's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group. 

"With tourism having collapsed, people have been moved from the streets into hotels and other forms of self-contained accommodation where they have received appropriate support.

"This concentrated and coordinated effort has demonstrated that a remarkable change can be achieved in a short time with the potential of transforming the lives of some of our most vulnerable people."

He said the challenge now, with lockdown easing, was to "ensure people do not return to rough sleeping". 

"Whatever else this awful pandemic has demonstrated, it has shown there is nothing inevitable about homelessness and it has given us a golden opportunity to do things differently," he said.