Love in Lockdown

With the arrival of Covid-19, social distancing has taken face-to-face meets ups out of the equation. Physical contact is OUT and virtual bonding is IN. 

As one of Scotland’s most popular dating venues, we are seasoned pros on what makes a great date. So, how does one go about finding love during lockdown? 

A recent Bumble survey of 5,000 of its users found the most popular virtual date was having a chat over a drink or coffee, with 64% saying this would be their ideal online date. The second most popular date involved playing a game together, followed by watching a film. 

But there’s a whole myriad of ways to date during lockdown – and without resorting to Fore Play (crazy golf, that is!). Here’s our top five dating ideas to keep things fresh during lockdown: 

Play Takeaway Roulette: 

Add some extra zing to your Zoom dinner date by “buying” each other dinner. Not only will this add a fun element of surprise when your order arrives, but it’s a great way to learn more about each other! Set a budget and send each other a “can’t stand/never eat” list to ensure there’s no dining disasters – and you’re good to go! More and more of Glasgow’s best restaurants and street food vendors (like LOADED – click here to order) are offering full or limited menus for delivery, wine from their cellars, and prepared cocktail kits, so there’s plenty of opportunity to go all-out to impress. 

And if takeaways aren’t your thing, why not cook “together”? Simply choose a dinner menu based on your food preferences, then follow a recipe at the same time over video chat. You might discover your date is a burgeoning Jamie Oliver and pure ‘pukka’ in the kitchen.  BBC Recipes Online is a great source of inspiration and boasts over 12000 recipes.

Visit the City of Love: 

Fancy visiting the world’s most romantic city from the comfort of your sofa? Oui oui! Nobody is travelling anytime soon, but you can easily explore the treasures of the world and take virtual tours of museums and galleries like the like the Louvre in Paris. Their website allows you online access to their famed Apollo Gallery, the remains of the Louvre’s moat, their collection of Egyptian antiquities and their exhibition The Advent of the Artist, which focuses on works by Delacroix, Rembrandt and Tintoretto. Tres romantique! Simply take a seat, pour a glass of rouge and tour virtually as a twosome. 

Make a Playlist: 

As they say, Music is the language of the soul! Think of this as the 2020 version of making your teenage crush a mixtape or burning them a CD featuring your favourite tunes of all time. Simply comply a playlist on Spotify and share it with your love interest; and then ask them to do the same and reciprocate. Not only will you learn lots about them from what they come up (hopefully not a collection of utter p*sh), but you’ll also get to freshen up your music library with some brand new tunage.  

Take a Virtual House Tour:

There’s a reason we all love MTV Cribs and Through the Keyhole, and why footage from tours of celebrity homes usually go viral. Deep down, we’re all voyeurs when it comes to the inside of other people’s bathroom cabinets and hallway cupboards! Since most of us are at home anyway, why not take this opportunity to give your date a virtual tour of your home. Just make sure you wash those dishes and pick up your pants beforehand. 

Learn a TikTok dance:

There’s nothing better than getting sweaty on a dance floor on a first date. But just because clubs are closed for the moment, doesn’t mean you can’t get some well-needed endorphins flowing through the power of dance! Enter TikTok, taking over the world as fast at Covid. Show your dancing prowess and practice communication (a key skill in any good relationship!) by learning the latest latest TikTok moves, such as the ‘Renegade’ or the ‘Say So’  – incorporating some moves that require screen interaction for maximum effect and team bonding!