Scots tourist board saga descends into farce

Visitscotland, formerly the Scottish Tourist Board, has withdrawn its offer of the £145,000-a-year chief executive's job to former Forte Hotels marketing director Rod Lynch just days after first confirming the appointment.

The sudden about-turn came after it emerged that Lynch had planned to also spend three days a month working as chairman and chief executive for another firm, Essex-based air cargo company Global Supply Solutions.

A spokesman for visitscotland said on Tuesday that the board had asked Lynch to relinquish his role with the air freight company, but he had declined to do so.

The spokesman added: "While it was always envisaged that Mr Lynch could take on non-executive directorships, the executive nature of his contract with Global Supply Solutions was incompatible with his intended role as chief executive of visitscotland."

While visitscotland says the decision has been taken with the full support of Scottish ministers, it is thought senior ministers in the Scottish Parliament are furious at the debacle at such a sensitive time for Scottish tourism.