Pottinger was put on secondment to Fraser, and in 1962 was asked by ministers to assist the Scottish Tourist Board in preparing a Bill that would allow for a series of investment grants and, potentially, a special tax on overnight accommodation in the area.
In a letter to Maclay, he noted that one additional problem inherent in developing the Highlands as a tourist destination was the "shortage of top-class hotel accommodation", and that an "ambitious project which will really strike people's imagination" was now needed.
According to historian Ian Levitt, these totalled £30,000 over six years from 1963 onwards, and included "two suits of clothing, foreign holidays, a car and a bungalow built to [Pottinger's] specification beside Muirfield Golf Course".
[4][5][6] Nicknamed 'Gorgeous George' on account of his predilection for "expensive tailoring",[7] Pottinger was attending a black-tie dinner at the Muirfield club when the Fraud Squad's Kenneth Everidge arrived to arrest him at 11pm on 22 June 1973.
[8][9] Already suspended from his Permanent Secretary post at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries following allegations raised at Poulson's earlier bankruptcy hearing,[4] he was charged with corruption in connection with the award of building contracts.