Wanted: Someone to sell Scotland

Visitscotland is still looking for a chief executive

By BBC Scotland political correspondent Elizabeth Quigley

It should be one of the most coveted jobs in Scotland. But the task of selling Scotland to the world is in danger of slipping down the list of most wanted occupations after the events of the last few days.

Within five days of being proclaimed the new chief executive of visitscotland, Rod Lynch's foreign travel plans and his private life had been dissected in the press.

And then the offer was ultimately withdrawn when the Executive and visitscotland decided that details of the second job he intended to pursue with GSS, an air cargo firm, made his position untenable.

The opposition parties and some voices inside the tourism industry are still perplexed as to who knew what and when.

Rod Lynch's job offer was withdrawn on Monday

Visitscotland seemed to be well aware that Mr Lynch was the chief executive of the air cargo firm - embracing it as a positive asset for both parties - while the First Minister and the enterprise minister say they did not know anything about his other employment.

What changed their minds about Mr Lynch's suitability was the revelation that he would be the licence-holder in the firm responsible for two aircrafts.

That raised two questions both inside and outside the Parliament. The first being if visitscotland knew about Mr Lynch's other job then why didn't the ministers?

The second one was put very bluntly by the Tory leader David McLetchie during First Minister's Questions.

Possible legal action

If Mr Lynch's position as the chief executive of GSS was known to visitscotland, accepted and not considered to pose any conflict of interest until they discovered he would be the licence-holder, then who exactly did they think would hold the licence, the office cleaner or the chief executive?

We have yet to hear the full story from Rod Lynch - and the matter is now in the hands of his lawyers.

John Swinney demanded the resignation of Enterprise Minister, Wendy Alexander

The whole saga will no doubt be detailed again should the parliament's enterprise committee launch its own inquiry into what happened and call witnesses from visitscotland and elsewhere.

Meanwhile the search begins, again, for another man or woman to head up Scotland's tourism industry.

Barring being put off from travelling to Britain because of the ongoing foot and mouth crisis, the American market is full of potential tourists ready, willing and desperate to discover their Scottish roots.

And if the sales of Scottish history, travel and other books are any kind of indicator, then there's also a domestic market just waiting to be nudged in the right direction of rediscovering the country they live in but have probably never really traveled in.

With a new chief executive eventually in place, the job of selling Scotland can then begin in earnest.