Royal homecoming for Scots in batallion which lost 30 men in Afghanistan

By Michael MacLeod

INJURED soldiers were given a Royal welcome home from their bloodiest tour of duty in 50 years today.

In an emotional parade of heroes, the 3 Rifles battlegroup marched down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile – short of 30 men who were killed during a six-month deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

The battle scars and conflict injuries sustained by many of the company were clear for the thousands lining the streets to see.

HRH Princess Alexandra took a salute from the Riflemen before meeting wheelchair-bound soldiers who were unable to march, some of whom lost limbs fighting the Taliban in the Sangin area of Helmand.

Scotland’s should forget tourist cliches claims branding expert

By Andrea McCallum

SCOTLAND should stop relying on shortbread and tartan to sell itself to the world – according to a branding expert.

David Guy, business director for the Edinburgh branch of marketing firm Billington Cartnell, said Scotland should take a leaf out of Ireland’s book and promote the warmth of its people.

And he said VisitScotland’s current approach was failing to exploit the perception of the Celtic nations as warm and friendly.

Kitchin helps out army chefs in the kitchen

Tom Kitchin flips sausage to help raise money

By Cara Sulieman

SCOTLAND’S youngest Michelin star chef Tom Kitchin was recruited by hero soldiers from 3 Rifles yesterday – to help cook up a storm in a supermarket to raise money in memory of their fallen colleagues.

Kitchin helped the combat chefs dish up tasty breakfast rolls to customers at Tesco in Colinton, Edinburgh – proving it’s not just an Army that marches on its stomachs.

The battalion want to build a memorial garden at Redford Barracks so that they have somewhere to go to remember the 20 soldiers from their regiment who have so far died in Afghanistan.

And with a constant stream of hungry customers despite yesterday’s miserable weather, they were bang on course to raising the £2,500 target for the day.

VisitScotland ignored own disciplinary policy

Richard Saville-Smith

By Cara Sulieman

VisitScotland ignored their own internal disciplinary policy when sacking the head of PR for the Year of Homecoming, a tribunal heard today (Weds).

The head of HR for the public body, Fiona Reith, said that they found themselves “stuck between a rock and a hard place” when dealing with Richard Saville-Smith.

The 48-year-old had been off work due to a bi-polar episode brought on by work related stress, and Ms Reith said that she was trying to deal with both that and historic disciplinary issues at the same time.

The employment tribunal in Edinburgh heard that Mr Saville-Smith had failed to turn up to work in August 2008 because he was suffering a bi-polar episode brought on by stress at work.

But there had also been previous issues with the PR guru’s performance, and Ms Reith decided to deal with both of the problems at the same time.

PR guru claims VisitScotland are “hiding” documents from employment tribunal

Richard Saville-Smith

By Cara Sulieman

A HIGH-FLYING PR guru who is suing VisitScotland for unfair dismissal has filed a complaint with police alleging that the tourism body failed to produce “key documents” under court order.

Richard Saville-Smith claims management at VisitScotland – the public body in charge of the year-long Homecoming celebrations – “doctored” evidence of his workload.

And he has reported them to Lothian and Borders Police for attempting to pervert the course of justice and interfering with evidence.

Mr Saville-Smith’s case was partially heard for four days in September and starts again tomorrow (Weds).

VisitScotland embroiled in spending row

By Cara Sulieman

A GOVERNMENT body has come under fire after spending nearly a quarter of a million pounds at a luxury hotel that is run by its chairman.

VisitScotland has confirmed that it paid that amount for events and accommodation at the five star Gleneagles hotel, which is owned by Diageo.

The cash was paid at the time when Peter Lederer was both the chairman of the quango and managing director of the company that runs the hotel.

Part of the £49 million budget for VisitScotland – who promotes the country as a desirable destination – is used to host events and bring in extra investment.

Homecoming PR guru failed to reveal bipolar condition, tribunal told

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A spin doctor appointed to spearhead the world-wide Homecoming Scotland campaign deliberately failed to disclose his bipolar condition to his employers as he battled to save his job, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Richard Saville-Smith, from Edinburgh, had been in the position as PR manager of Year of Homecoming for just seven weeks when he suffered a mental breakdown which he claims was caused by a heavy workload and a “bullying” style of management.

But when employers VisitScotland conducted two back-to-work meetings with the 48 year-old PR guru, he failed to divulge the true nature of his condition.

VisitScotland claim it was a full seven weeks following Mr Saville-Smith’s absence before they became aware of his bipolar condition.

After being treated for his breakdown, in which he spend three weeks in a locked ward in a psychiatric facility, Mr Saville-Smith was sacked by VisitScotland for being incompetent.

Homecoming Scotland PR guru sparked police hunt after going missing, tribunal told

By Alexander Lawrie

A TOP PR executive hired to mastermind the Homecoming Scotland campaign sparked a two-day police hunt after he disappeared following a mental breakdown, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Richard Saville-Smith from Edinburgh suffered a recurrence of his bipolar condition just seven weeks after being appointed as PR manager for Year of Homecoming.

Giving evidence to the three man employment tribunal panel, an emotional Gillian Saville-Smith, 47, claimed her husband was a “high-suicide risk” when suffering from the condition.

She said: “Richard disappeared the day of a large VisitScotland event he was working on. I received a letter from VisitScotland, delivered by a courier company, stating he hadn’t turned up for the event.

“I immediately contacted the police and they said that they would visit his work, and in the meantime they would try and check his bank account for movement

“I then started to receive texts from Richard so I knew he wasn’t dead at least, but then his phone went dead and the texts stopped.”

Homecoming Scotland chiefs doctored evidence, tribunal told

By Alexander Lawrie

BOSSES at Homecoming Scotland altered minutes of important meetings and destroyed an email account in a bid to discredit a high-flying PR manager, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Richard Saville-Smith, from Edinburgh, claims management at VisitScotland – the public body in charge of the year-long Homecoming celebrations – doctored evidence of his workload.

The 48-year-old PR expert was employed to mastermind the Homecoming campaign in June 2008, but was effectively sacked from the £40,000 position for being incompetent just seven weeks later.

Mr Saville-Smith is claiming an increased workload and a lack of management support led him to suffer an episode of manic depression, in which he spent four weeks in a secure unit.

High flying PR manager blames management for mental collapse

Richard Saville-Smith

By Alexander Lawrie

A HIGH flying PR executive who was charged with masterminding Scotland’s Year of Homecoming campaign issued a “cry for help” to bosses before suffering a mental collapse, a tribunal heard yesterday.

Richard Saville-Smith, 48, from Edinburgh, told how he had struggled under the workload and asked for support – all against a backdrop of seeing his expert advice ignored by management.

He told an Employment Tribunal in Edinburgh yesterday that the strain of it all saw him suffer a bipolar episode – his first in 13-years – which eventually led to his sacking.

Mr Saville-Smith, who blames management at EventScotland, is now claiming unfair dismissal under disability legislation after receiving his P45 last Christmas Eve.