Technology 'set to revolutionise tourism', as new Tweed Valley story-telling app launched
Last updated 23rd Apr 2023
It's hoped a new audio trail being trialled in the Tweed Valley will help visitors discover more about the area.
Well-known attractions such as Traquair House, near Innerleithen, and the Great Polish Map of Scotland, in Eddleston, are among the destinations highlighted by the GeoTourist app.
But Tweed Valley Tales – Nature, History and Stories, which is free to download, also includes some less well-known attractions.
And visitors can even upload content to share their own experiences at www.geotourist.com
Rich Rowe is from Go Tweed Valley, which is behind the project. He told Greatest Hits Radio: "Working closely with Destination Tweed, we have created a special audio trail for the GeoTourist app, which features 20 - what are called - data points, up and down the Tweed Valley.
"These are places that are fun, and quirky. and interesting; and really help visitors get to know the area.
"These points cover some of the expected, kind of big tickets locations - Traquair House, Kailzie Gardens, the Great Polish Map at Barony Castle, and a few others.
"But there are also some really quirky bits of story-telling - like why there is a carving of a First Nation's figure by a champion chainsaw carver at Dawyck Botanic Garden? What's the deal with the brightly-painted railway footbridge that sits in the grounds of Peebles Hydro, appearing all marooned and out of place?
"And why is there a stained-glass window that depicts Merlin's conversion to christianity at Stobo Kirk?"
The Tweed Valley trail is the only one in the South of Scotland being trialled as part of the country-wide project.
It's being funded by the Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund and the results will be assessed by the University of Dundee.
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"For the researchers, the purpose is really to help evidence the economic and social benefits that destinations within Scotland can derive from the app and the GeoTourist platform," Rich explained.
"For visitors, this multi-media experience really allows them to personalise their journeys and massively immerse themselves in the stories of the landscape all around.
"And for Go Tweed Valley and Destination Tweed, our hope is that by being part of this pilot we'll learn much more about how visitors experience and travel through the area, and what they find most useful and interesting; to help inform how we use technology to drive tourism and provide the very best possible experience for those visitors."
Included within the tour is an eerie walk through a 600m-long disused railway tunnel at Neidpath; the Soonhope huts near Peebles and the Glentress meteorite sculpture.
App users can also discover how people used to take the waters at St Ronan’s Wells in Innerleithen and see the intricately-carved sandstone tablets on top of Pirn Hill that tell the story of town, among others.
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Luke Fisher, Tweed Forum’s Destination Tweed Project Manager, said: “Technology is set to revolutionise future tourism, with multimedia experiences allowing destinations to inspire people to visit and visitors to personalise their journeys and immerse themselves in the stories of their surroundings.
"Through this pilot, we hope to discover how best to provide the information that visitors find most useful so that we can harness the latest technology to enable tourism in the region to thrive. It’s often surprising how much there is to discover about the places on our doorstep, so we hope local people will help us to test this free app and enjoy exploring the area at the same time.”
Are you involved in a project you'd like to share on the radio? Email our reporter: ally.mcgilvray@bauermedia.co.uk