Photo used to promote Scottish Highlands journey eliminated after it seems to point out bus in China | EUROtoday

The Scottish authorities has withdrawn a picture from an advert selling a Highland bus journey marketing campaign after it emerged that the image truly seems to be of a nature reserve in China.

Images 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 similar to inexperienced street obstacles that don’t exist in Scotland.

Members of the general public recommended that the photographs as a substitute seemed to be of a equally mountainous area within the Changbaishan National 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 and marketing company, which have since been faraway from all communications.

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

But Highland Tourism, a neighborhood group that goals to harness tourism for social profit, stated that it was “shameless” in charge a advertising and marketing company and stated “questions need to be asked”.

“Blaming a marketing agency is shameless,” Willie Cameron, director of Highland Tourism informed BBC Scotland.

“The responsibility goes back to whoever sent the brief across, when the campaign was ready to go out and being signed off.

“Why did nobody in the marketing team at Transport Scotland ask where the picture was taken?”

He added: “It never should have been signed off. The fact is we have incredible photographers and professionals who work in the Scottish Highlands and could have provided an accurate campaign with accurate images.

“They should keep this work local and questions need to be asked about how this was approved.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson informed the BBC that it had “clearly” specified that the photographs needs to be right together with precisely reflecting the native space it was selling and the car kind that will be used.

“An incorrect image was then provided by the marketing agency,” the stated.

“The image has been removed from partner communications packs and will be withdrawn from any ongoing distributions.”