Photo used to advertise Scottish travel removed after it appears to show bus in China

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The Scottish authorities has withdrawn a picture from an advert selling a Highland bus journey marketing campaign after it emerged that the image truly seems to be of a nature reserve in China.

Photographs of the pilot marketing campaign, promoting low cost bus journey throughout the Scottish Highlands and Islands, went viral on social media when eagle-eyed customers observed options comparable to inexperienced street obstacles that don’t exist in Scotland.

Members of the general public recommended that the photographs as a substitute gave the impression to be of a equally mountainous area within the Changbaishan Nationwide Nature Reserve, hundreds of miles away, alongside the border of China and South Korea.

Transport Scotland confirmed that the marketing campaign had included incorrect pictures offered by an exterior advertising company, which have since been faraway from all communications.

The photographs, selling a £2 bus fare cap throughout the entire Highlands and islands from 23 March, appeared throughout social media in addition to transport web sites together with for Stagecoach and Citylink. They’ve since been eliminated.

However Highland Tourism, a group group that goals to harness tourism for social profit, stated that it was “shameless” accountable a advertising company and stated “questions should be requested”.

“Blaming a advertising company is shameless,” Willie Cameron, director of Highland Tourism advised BBC Scotland.

“The duty goes again to whoever despatched the transient throughout, when the marketing campaign was able to exit and being signed off.

“Why did no person within the advertising staff at Transport Scotland ask the place the image was taken?”

He added: “It by no means ought to have been signed off. The actual fact is now we have unbelievable photographers and professionals who work within the Scottish Highlands and will have offered an correct marketing campaign with correct pictures.

“They need to maintain this work native and questions should be requested about how this was accredited.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson advised the BBC that it had “clearly” specified that the pictures ought to be right together with precisely reflecting the native space it was selling and the car sort that may be used.

“An incorrect picture was then offered by the advertising company,” the stated.

“The picture has been faraway from companion communications packs and can be withdrawn from any ongoing distributions.”