Gathering loan 'came after call from Salmond's office'

THE controversial £180,000 loan by the Scottish Government to the private company behind last year's ill-fated clan gathering was agreed after a phone call from the First Minister's office, MSPs were told.

Tory peer Lord Jamie Sempill, director of The Gathering Ltd, told the Scottish Parliament's audit committee that cashflow problems were identified in April last year, three months ahead of the event.

Lord Sempill said: "It was conveyed to us by the First Minister's private secretary.

"He said 'we feel the best option is to provide a loan', and we said, 'that would be fantastic'."