Elected members and officials are regularly enjoying publicly-funded trips to exotic destinations such as Rio, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Some attended glitzy international golf shows, others were let loose on sun-kissed Italian ski slopes, while one group sampled the world’s finest delicacies in Poland.
Our special investigation found that, since January 1 last year, 25 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities have spent more than £1m sending officials on business outwith Scotland.