Homecoming failed to pay for city venues

Published on Saturday 17 October 2009 11:55

ORGANISERS of the Homecoming's clan gathering in the city are understood to have failed to pay £73,000 for the use of Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park.

They are also believed to owe public bodies – such as the police and ambulance service – thousands of pounds.

Poor ticket sales, along with a failure to keep costs down, led to the high-profile summer event, organised by The Gathering Limited, making a 600,000 loss.

Among many bodies thought to be owed money, the Scottish Government has reportedly been forced to write off a 180,000 loan agreed just weeks before the event to ensure it went ahead. The police and ambulance service are due 27,200 and 12,000 respectively.

Edinburgh City Council is hopeful of recouping 24,000 which it spent on closing the Royal Mile and diverting traffic.

Historic Scotland, which is responsible for the Castle and Holyrood Park, said it would not be pursuing the debt.