Entrepreneur Thomas Ashdown has been named one of Scotland’s most eligible bachelors.

The founder of the highly successful Citylets web portal for property to rent came in at number 11 of the country’s 50 most sought-after single men.

The Belfast-born businessman moved to Scotland when he attended Edinburgh University in 1992 and later set up Citylets from the kitchen table in his rented flat.

Despite his lack of computer skills he successfully created an online business which survived the bursting of the original dot com bubble – and Citylets is now Scotland’s main residential letting portal, listing 25,000 properties a year.

As well as business success the 35-year-old has become a popular figure in the Scottish capital’s social, business and sporting scenes prompting his inclusion in The Eligibles, a highly-regarded annual list of “Scotland’s hottest 100 men and women”.

The businessman said: “I was pretty taken aback to be named the 11th most eligible bachelor in Scotland – and of course extremely flattered.

“I love Edinburgh and my business is based here. Over the past 15 years I’ve made lots of friends and put down roots – but I’ve never lost my accent and Belfast will always feel like home.”

Serial entrepreneur Thomas regularly returns to Belfast, especially since launching Citylets in Northern Ireland almost a year ago and has already become an integral source of information for people hunting for homes to rent.

Thomas, a keen rower, is also the sponsor of Scotland’s national cricket team and an active supporter of various charities and voluntary organisations, including Shelter.

As well as Citylets, he has established several other successful businesses including Cityoffices, a web portal listing details of business centres, serviced offices and meeting rooms for rent throughout the country.

His portfolio is not limited to online ventures and he owns Jobs In letting which recruits exclusively into the letting sector. Another business, MediaMat allows companies to advertise on mousemats which are distributed to homes and universities throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Thomas’ mother founded the Northern Ireland Film & TV Commission and a family love of film could signal Thomas’ next business venture. He has friends involved in the Northern Ireland industry and would like to get involved in the near future.

* Details of properties to rent in Northern Ireland can be found on http://www.citylets.co.uk/

ENDS