Concerns scupper naked surfers ad

VisitScotland's mainstream cinema advert was shot on Barra

Tourism bosses have abandoned a plan to post a promotional video on the internet which featured naked surfers, after complaints from islanders.

VisitScotland filmed a short clip on Barra in the Western Isles to advertise outdoor activities.

However, a priest contacted the agency after complaints from parishioners.

VisitScotland said it had been a quirky idea aimed at young people and was not intended to cause offence. It said all the footage had been withdrawn.

A spokeswoman said the clip had been intended as a viral video - footage spread via e-mail - and would have been aimed at internet sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Bebo.

Romantic getaway

The plan followed research of the kinds of people who take part in adventure activities.

The spokeswoman said the agency had taken the concerns on board and the filming of the video had been "misguided".

Barra was the location for a more mainstream VisitScotland advert which was shown in cinemas in England.

The commercial, by Peter Webber, the man behind Oscar-nominated movie Girl With a Pearl Earring, formed part of a £2.7m tourism drive.

It features a London couple enjoying a romantic getaway on a beach on Barra, in the Outer Hebrides.

It was commissioned by VisitScotland, which aims to boost annual tourism revenues from £4bn to £6bn by 2015.