Text blunder sells events 500 miles away

Historic Scotland has been texting people in Kent advertising days out at castles 500 miles (800km) away.

The text messages gave out the direct line of an officer at Perth and Kinross Council, who was deluged with confused calls from all over the UK.

The events included a medieval encampment and a 4.5 mile (7.5km) guided walk at castles in the region.

The texts have now stopped and Historic Scotland apologised for any inconvenience caused.

It is understood that the messages were sent to people who had opted into receiving marketing texts from Historic Scotland.

But the company who put out the messages were only supposed to send them to people living nearby.

The officer at the council's countryside service received calls from as far away as Kent and London, and said many people were "totally confused" by the messages.

Others were annoyed because they could not work out how to stop the texts being sent about events hundreds of miles away.

Jenny Hess, head of marketing at Historic Scotland, said: "Historic Scotland has a texting service which lets people know about events in their area.

"Unfortunately a technical problem at the company which puts out the texts on our behalf meant that some went to people who should not have received them.

"The problem was put right as soon as possible but we apologise for any inconvenience which it caused."

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said: "It appears that contact details for the council's countryside ranger team have been included in error in these texts from Historic Scotland.

"The texts have been immediately stopped and Historic Scotland are looking into the situation."