SCOTLAND'S national tourism body has been forced to change its main visitor website after it described the country's rail network as "limited" and "skeletal", The Scotsman has learned.
VisitScotland acted after First ScotRail complained about the wording in a travel guide for tourists.
A photograph showing a "Beware of the trains" sign beside railway tracks has also been taken off the website.
The move comes days after a R
oyal Society of Edinburgh report called for VisitScotland to be scrapped because of its poor performance.
One rail industry source said: "Passengers visiting the website were faced with a 'Beware of the trains' picture, then comments about 'a few' major stations and 'Scotland's limited rail network'. (That] really encourages tourists to travel by rail."
The VisitScotland website advised tourists that "Scotland has a modest rail network, at its most dense in the Central Belt, at its most skeletal in the Highlands."
It added: "Scotland has a few major stations that are the cornerstones of its modest rail network … connecting services serve Scotland's limited rail network."
However, following objections from First ScotRail, which runs most of the country's trains, the wording has been changed.
It now states that, despite the few main lines in the Highlands, these link with most of the major ferry ports to the Hebrides.
In a further change, the website now refers to Scotland having "a number of major stations". The words "modest" and "limited" to describe the rail network have been removed.
First ScotRail said it had assisted VisitScotland with improving the website wording.
A spokesman said: "We were disappointed with the content and have offered advice on updating the website.
"We are committed to boosting tourism and there is so much to tell – from the West Highland and Kyle lines being among the 'Great Journeys of the World' to our famous Caledonian Sleepers, and the Forth Bridge being hailed as the eighth wonder of the world.
"Many of our products are aimed at tourists. For example, overseas visitors are now able to book their tickets online before they set foot in Scotland.
"The internal leisure market is also important and has been boosted by offering free travel for up to two children when travelling with an adult."
VisitScotland said it acted immediately after receiving the complaint from First ScotRail.
A spokesman said: "As soon as we found out what was there, it was changed almost instantly. There was an image on there as well so that has been removed.
"The wording has all been changed. It's now in a far more positive light. We always welcome feedback.
"We have been liaising with visitscotland.com to ensure that the appropriate amendments have been to that section of the site".
On Monday, a Royal Society of Edinburgh report recommended that VisitScotland should be replaced with a new organisation.
It said that the body was too centralised, had insufficient funding and did not focus enough on areas needing support.
ANALYSISVISITSCOTLAND'S description of the Scottish rail network was largely accurate, if unflattering, according to experts.
Frank Roach, partnership manager of the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, said the network reflected the country's rugged topography.
Although large areas of the Highlands were bereft of trains, they served most towns. There are just two routes north of Inverness, and only two up the west coast, but this is similar to a century ago.
Line closures, such as those by Beeching in the 1960s, largely affected the east coast, central belt and southern Scotland. The Borders were among the biggest losers, but the Edinburgh-Tweedbank line is due to be re-opened in 2013.
