ROBERT Louis Stevenson famously said: "I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
Many of Scotland's councillors appear to have taken the great writer's words literally.
From Budapest to Belfast and many places in between, they racked up thousands of air miles travelling to scores of events during the past year.
The 79 elected representatives of Glasgow City Council claimed their highest expenses bill to date, totalling more than pounds -180,000, about pounds -70,000 higher than in the previous year.
Edinburgh bucked the trend set by Glasgow, with its bill to the taxpayers for councillors' expenses dropping to pounds -91,491 from pounds -119,393. Aberdeen noted a slight increase, from pounds -21,842 last year to pounds -22,835 for this financial year.
In Dundee, the country's fourth biggest city, figures are still not available. However, few authorities appear immune to the travel bug, and recent figures have shown that councillors from across Scotland took the chance to explore various destinations.
Lesley Hinds, Edinburgh's lord provost, received almost pounds -45,000 in allowances and expenses while the commensurate amount for Liz Cameron, her Glasgow counterpart, was far lower at pounds -19,256. Of that, pounds -11,935.13 came in expenses for fulfilling her duties at events across the globe from Dublin to New York and St Petersburg.
There were also wide variations in this year's expenses bill for Glasgow, with some councillors claiming nothing over the period while others claimed more than pounds -10,000.
A back-bench councillor, Gary Gray, who represents Milton ward in the north of the city, one of the most deprived areas in Scotland, claimed more than pounds -8000 in subsistence and mileage, but did not apparently leave the country for any conferences.
On 30 occasions he claimed pounds -117.60. Mr Gray, 31, who is also reputed to be a spiritualist, said: "The claims are submitted to the council and that is all I want to say about the matter." The council declined to give any more details about his claims.
William O'Rourke, councillor for the Crookston ward in the south side, spent pounds -10,414.56. The convener of the council's roads and lighting committee went to conferences in Aviemore, Budapest, Torbay, London, Plymouth, Dublin, Hanover, Nagoya, Liverpool and Belfast.
The council has come under criticism in the past for what some commentators described as the waste of council taxpayers' money on "naked junketing".
Hanzala Malik, convener of development and regeneration services, ran up a pounds -9962 bill that included visits to conferences in Malaysia and Lahore, Pakistan.
Malcolm Green, councillor for the Kelvingrove ward, claimed pounds -8162.96, which included more than pounds -1300 for expenses on a visit to Finland.
John Mason, SNP councillor and opposition leader, said: "As I understand it, noone checks or authorises councillors' expense claims.
This is ridiculous in the year 2005 when governance is meant to be important."
A city council spokesman said: "We are committed to open, transparent governance and members' expenses are open to public scrutiny."
CITY BY CITY
Glasgow
Total spend: pounds -180,384.64 Number of councillors: 79 Average spend: pounds -2283.35
Edinburgh
Total spend: pounds -91,491 Number of councillors: 58 Average spend: pounds -1577.43
Aberdeen
Total spend: pounds -22,835 Number of councillors: 43 Average spend: pounds -531.04
Dundee Figures not yet available
GLASGOW MEMBERS' CLAIMS
Bashir Ahmed Pollokshields East 0
Susan Baird Braidfauld pounds -2159.03
Keith Baldassara Pollok pounds -757.23
Mary Beckett Wallacewell 0
Shaukat Butt, Kingston pounds -821.26
Liz Cameron Knightswood South pounds -11, 935.13
Paul Carey Summerhill pounds -3524.98
Patricia Chalmers Carntyne pounds -317.56
James Coleman Barlanark pounds -1607.43
Aileen Colleran Partick pounds -5164.53
Malcolm Cunning Strathbungo pounds -1763.82
Stephen Curran Pollokshaws pounds -0
Christine Devine Glenwood pounds -0
Frank Docherty Dennistoun pounds -3167.23
Josephine Dodds Carnwadric pounds -797.55
Stephen Dornan Drumoyne pounds -6411.01
Jonathan Findlay Anniesland pounds -2790.93
Eamon Fitzgerald Hayburn pounds -515.33
John Flanagan Govan pounds -0
Deirdre Gaughan Ibrox pounds -809.35
Iris Gibson Mosspark pounds -2520.06
Alexander Glass Nitshill pounds -561.67
Charles Gordon Knightswood Park 0
Archibald Graham Langside 0
Irene Graham Victoria Park pounds -2217.80
Gary Gray Milton pounds -8222.64
John Gray Keppochhill 0
Malcolm Green Kelvingrove pounds - 8162.96
Ellen Hurcombe Ashfield pounds -214.62
Michael Kernaghan Darnley pounds -1264.55
Gerald Leonard Gartcraig pounds -5140.89
John Lynch Mount Florida pounds -3568.04
Robert Macbean Baillieston pounds -492.99
Gordon MacDiarmid Pennilee pounds -1592.24
James MacKechnie North Kelvin pounds -59.53
Hugh MacRae Greenfield 0
Haleema Malik Firhill pounds -1006.69
Hanzala Malik Woodlands pounds -9962.12
Robert Marshall Robroyston pounds -1947.31
Chris Mason Jordanhill pounds -72.47
John Mason Garrowhill 0
Gordon Matheson Merchant City pounds -701.86
Margaret McCafferty Battlefield 0
Gaille McCann Queenslie pounds -685.76
Elaine McDougall Milnbank pounds -1537.14
Jean McFadden Scotstoun pounds -972.22
John McKenzie Castlemilk pounds -2291.84
Thomas McKeown Tollcross Park 0
Malcolm McLean Cathcart pounds -888.39
Euan McLeod Mount Vernon pounds -2984.66
Catherine McMaster Garthamlock pounds -3279.08
James McNally Newlands pounds -1419.73
Anne Marie Millar Govanhill pounds -712.87
Alex Mosson Anderston pounds -7787.93
Kirsteen Mosson Wyndford pounds - 14.82
John Moynes Royston pounds -1713.29
James Mutter Hutchesontown pounds -4972.98
Lawrence O'Neill Drumry pounds -1174.18
William O'Rourke Crookston pounds -10, 414.56
Mary Paris Kelvindale pounds -190.06
Steven Purcell Blairdardie pounds -4900.56
Ronald Quinn Easterhouse pounds -5142.80
Mohammed Razaq Maryhill pounds -489.06
George Redmond Bridgeton/Dalmarnock pounds -829.11
Craig Roberton Yoke r pounds -754.03
Alan Rodger Maxwell Park 0
George Ryan Shettleston pounds -2449.25
James Scanlon Toryglen pounds -1237.25
Ruth Simpson Hyndland pounds -1678.80
Margaret Sinclair Cardonald pounds -2247.12
Elaine Smith Parkhead pounds -1862.48
David Stevenson Calton pounds -6138.34
Alan Stewart Carmunnock pounds -1345.61
Allan Stewart Cowlairs pounds -6570.83
Bill Timoney King's Park pounds -6958.69
James Todd Springburn pounds -4301.05
Niall Walker Hillhead pounds -60.38
Alistair Watson North Cardonald pounds -1030.41
Robert Winter Summerston pounds -1098.55
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