Scottish Government 'embassies' splash out on whisky tastings while public spending cut

EXCLUSIVE: More than £430,000 was spent on hosting events at the Scottish Government's nine overseas offices in recent years.

Scottish Government "embassies" have splashed out on whisky tastings at a time of huge cuts to public spending.

The nine overseas offices around the world are meant to promote Scottish interests and strengthen ties with host nations.

A breakdown of spending on events hosted at the government hubs show they racked up a total bill of £431,283 over the last three years.

The cash was spent on a variety of engagements including annual St Andrew's Day receptions and Burns Night gatherings.

The spending also includes £10,339 for an evening in Copenhagen where Nicola Sturgeon flew in to open the Scottish Government's new "Nordic office" in August 2022.

And an event held over two evenings in Beijing in February last year for invited "Scottish alumni" included £1,080 spent on whisky tasting in addition to £4,660 on catering.

Another whisky tasting in Berlin in February 2022 cost £393.

Willie Rennie, Scottish Lib Dems economy spokesman, said: "There needs to be clear evidence that these embassy events are generating business for Scottish companies otherwise there is no excuse for spending such vast sums, when the country is facing an NHS on its knees and a national cost-of-living crisis.

"If these events are simply for propagandising for the break up of the UK abroad, that would be a serious misuse of taxpayer money."

It comes after SNP ministers confirmed that spending on the network of Scottish "embassies" rose by £800,000 this year despite the Holyrood government cutting back elsewhere.

The Scottish Government announced last month it would review plans to open a Polish hub in Warsaw.

But the cost of the administration’s nine current offices is expected to rise from £7 million to £7.8 million this year, partly due to increased rent costs.

The Scottish Government has previously insisted it runs a modest amount of oversea offices compared to other devolved nations.

Quebec has 35 offices in 20 countries, while Labour-run Wales has 21 offices in 12 countries.

The Bute House Agreement signed by the SNP and Greens in 2021 had committed the Scottish Government to "strengthen Scotland’s international relationships, presence and voice", which included the opening of new hubs in Copenhagen and Warsaw.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said its overseas offices network "delivers tangible benefits to Scotland’s people, businesses and institutions – supporting £1.73 billion in forecast export sales and more than 8,500 jobs in 2022-23".

They added: "Our international offices contribute hugely to that and the fact that Scotland is the most attractive place in the UK to invest after London and the only part of the UK to record growth for five consecutive years with a record 142 inward investment projects secured last year."

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