Website showcases Cullen on the move

CULLEN and Deskford have gone mobile.

In line with modern technology, the Cullen and Deskford community website – at www.discovercullen.com – is now accessible to users of mobile devices.

Professor Ashley Mowat, chairman of Cullen and Deskford Community Council, said: "This joint venture with the Cullen Voluntary Tourist Initiative is another step forward for the community website, which has been such a success since its launch two years ago.

"Most people now have all sorts of mobile devices and expect to be able to access the worldwide web when they are on the move, so we have responded to ensure that Cullen and Deskford remain visible to the world.

"The website is updated daily, and we are also very proud that moer than 75 ‘friends’ have subscribed to the newsletter which keeps them up-to-date on events in our area."

The website was launched two years ago, and since then has proved an invaluable one-stop source of information for residents, for those who are looking to relocate to the area and for those planning to spend their next holiday on the coastline.

More than 100 businesses are listed free of charge on the website, alongside community groups, community facilities and clubs, local events, things to see and do, as well as a section on the rich history and heritage of the area.

Zillah Jamieson, chair of the Cullen Voluntary Tourist Initiative, said: "The website is a fantastic way to showcase our beautiful area to the world, and we want to make sure that holidaymakers – whether planning in advance or while on a tour – can access the type of information that will persuade them to come here.

"One of the catalysts for this development was the design of a new Cullen leaflet which is now being distributed along the Banffshire coast and is downloadable from the website.

"Everyone is becoming increasingly familiar with what they call QR codes, which, when scanned by a mobile device, take the user straight through to a mobile-friendly website.

"It was critical that our new leaflet should reflect this trend with a QR code all of its own; we will also be putting the code on all leaflets designed by the tourist initiative for the tourist office, which will be opening on June 1 for the holiday weekend."

Cullen received some other great news recently. Cullen Beach has achieved the MCS Recommended standard – the gold standard for excellent water quality – and appears in the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Beach Guide for 2012.