Third council cuts tourism cash

Perth and Kinross Council has become the third Tayside authority to cut funding for Scotland's tourism agency.

The council decided to take £5,000 from its allocation to VisitScotland and give it to a local tourist group.

The move came after Dundee City and Angus councils cut their VisitScotland funding by a total of £167,000.

Tourism Minister Patricia Ferguson expressed her disappointment at that decision, which she said had forced the agency to take cost-cutting steps.

Perth and Kinross Council's decision to allocate more money to the South Perthshire Tourist Association came after the closure of the tourist information centre at Auchterarder.