Scottish Government minister Lorna Slater’s private hire of a boat for a trip to an island cost £1,200, it has emerged.

Slater visited the Isle of Rum, off the north-west coast of Scotland, last month to discuss the future of Kinloch Castle.

That came after city financier and former Conservative donor Jeremy Hosking withdrew a bid for the Edwardian building, blaming an intervention from Slater.

The Scottish Government said at the time that hiring a boat, instead of using the Government-owned ferry service CalMac, allowed the minister to spend more time on the island.

A return ticket on the ferry to Rum costs £9.40 – although it is not clear how many officials travelled with Slater, which would inflate the price.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Health Matters