Lobbying was once described by Prime Minister David Cameron as “the next big scandal waiting to happen…an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money.”

Now a new guide to the “influence industry” in Scotland is to be launched by transparency campaigners Spinwatch and Unlock Democracy ahead of next weekend’s SNP conference.

The dossier will include an interactive online map of Edinburgh which shows the key players and the proximity of their offices to the Scottish Parliament.

The guide lists more than 30 firms with offices within one mile of the seat of power. Many of the same companies are featured on a similar map of London lobbyists which was previously created by Spinwatch.

The guide states: “Scotland’s influence industry is similar in its makeup to the lobbyist playgrounds of Washington, Brussels and London. It’s just smaller.”

The guide – entitled ‘Holyrood Exposed’ - also reveals the career paths of former political advisors previously paid from the public purse who now work for private sector firms trying to change government policy.

The SNP's former strategic communications director, Kevin Pringle, who recently joined public relations company Charlotte Street Partners, is given prominence in the dossier.

As is the SNP’s former Westminster chief of staff Luke Skipper, who took a position as account director in Weber Shandwick’s public affairs team in June.

Holyrood Exposed also shines a light on former politicians who were appointed to key roles at communications companies which boast big business clients.

Former Edinburgh City Council leader Donald Anderson, from Labour, is a key player in public relations firm PPS while one of his predecessors Keith Geddes, also from Labour, works for Pagoda Porter Novelli.

Two former Liberal Democrat MSPs, Margaret Smith and Euan Robson, have influential roles at public affairs company Caledonia while former SNP MSP and RBS’s former head of communications, Andrew Wilson, is employed by Charlotte Street Partners.

The 15-page guide goes on to examine the influence that lobbyists have exerted on the passage of legislation in Scotland.

Since Cameron’s “next big scandal” speech in 2010 his government at Westminster has passed a bill which was intended to ensure greater scrutiny of lobbyists.

However, the legislation has been criticised by transparency campaigners and Labour MSP Neil Findlay later spearheaded a drive for stricter regulations in Scotland.

He said: “I introduced my ‘Lobbying Transparency Scotland Bill’ to shine a light on the lobbying industry in Scotland, an industry that has grown from nothing to a multimillion pound business and is set to grow further as more powers come to Holyrood.

“Initially the Scottish Government took over my bill in good faith and looked set to implement it but since then it has dragged its feet and appears to be watering down many of the proposals I put forward.

“I will be playing a very active role in scrutinising the proposals that come forward and I want to thank Spinwatch and others for helping to highlight the extent of lobbying and the networks that sustain it, most of which the general public know little of.”

Tamasin Cave of Spinwatch said: “Having watched the Westminster government bodge transparency rules for lobbyists down here, it's disheartening to see the Scottish government go down the same road.

“A decent register of lobbyists – which would simply make public who is lobbying whom, about what, and how much they are spending in the process – is an essential feature of modern government, not a 'nice to have'.

“Westminster's lobbyists are drooling at the opportunities Scottish politics presents. As a consequence, they are buying up anyone with an inside track to the SNP.

“The Scottish government must allow people to see exactly who it is talking to, not just the tiny proportion of the lobbying industry currently proposed. Their plans are a long way from the new politics Scotland was promised.”

The guide has been backed by the director of Electoral Reform Society (ERS) Scotland, Willie Sullivan, who asked for his organisation to be included in the guide.

He said: “I think we operate with the highest integrity but we still want to be accountable to the voters. Trust is about being seen to do the right thing not just doing it behind closed doors.

“One politician told me recently that there is no need for a register as the public could rely on our integrity. That would be like saying: ‘Trust me I work in politics’.”

Nicholas Henry Dunn-McAfee, Public Affairs Manager at the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), the largest PR association in Europe, said: “Representing our industry, we have long called for a UK-wide register which covers all those who influence government or advise others how to influence government.

“Anything which does not have the broadest possible definition of lobbying and covers less than our own self-regulatory register will - in our view - not go far enough.”

Convenor of the Association for Scottish Public Affairs (APSA), Alastair Ross, added: “ASPA’s consistently called for a level playing field in any lobbying regulation as there should be no distinction between different types of lobbyists and their organisations – there should be no exemptions or special treatment for anyone.”

The Scottish Government has carried out a public consultation on proposed lobbying legislation and received 68 responses.

A spokeswoman said: “We will publish a full independent analysis of the consultation responses ahead of the introduction of the bill to the Scottish Parliament.

“The Scottish Government remains committed to introduce this bill during the current parliamentary session as part of its Programme for Government.”