Kirriemuir’s rich offering of shops and businesses is now available at the touch of a button in a new town app.
And those behind the scheme say they could not have picked a better time for it to be launched to the public.
The wee red town is just days away from it’s massive annual invasion of AC/DC fans for Bonfest.
So next week at this time there could be thousands of folk from across the globe clicking their phone screen for a Kirrie shop, cafe or business offering everything from plumbing to painting.
Kirriemuir app is successful collaboration
The app is the ambitious first project of newly-formed Kirriemuir Development Trust.
It collaborated with A Longer Table community zero waste and grocery refill shop in the town centre on the project.
And famous fairytale son Peter Pan welcomes newcomers to the download.
KDT chairwoman Heather Kelly says the steep learning curve has been worth tackling to see the support for the initiative.
“We’re a new group and developing an app is new to us but the businesses have all come on board,” she said.
“It isn’t just shops – it’s businesses, all the attractions we have in and around Kirrie and as much information as possible.
“It’s totally different to anything else out there locally.
“We think it’s really nice and we hope people like it.”
Busy launch event for new Kirrie app
The app was unveiled at an indoor market and taster session event in the Old Parish Church hall on Friday.
Town centre businesses stayed open for late night shopping.
Heather added: “This is all about supporting our local businesses, getting folk back into the town to shop, eat, drink and hopefully stay.
“Even to us it has been a real eye-opener to see just how many businesses there are and the diversity of what we have in the town.
“It’s generated something really positive from the outset and we want to keep that going.”
There is also a kirriemuirapp.co.uk website.
“The app and building of the web page was done by someone local so we’re really pleased we were able to do that.
“We had a LACER funding grant of around £8,000. That allowed us to develop the app and everything that goes with it.”
“It means that this year everything is free to the businesses who are on the app. And others who have not come forward can still be included.”
Heather hopes the rockers packing their bags for Bonfest will click with the new offering.
“We really wanted to get it out before the festival,” she said.
“It is such a massive event for the town so hopefully we’ll get a lot of downloads.”
It is now available on the Apple App Store and will be coming soon to Google Play Store.
Trust hopes to push on with other plans
Heather hopes the professionalism of the project will show folk the scale of KDT’s ambitions – and bring others on board.
“We had our AGM recently and it could have been better supported,” she said.
“This is our first big project and it was quite an undertaking but we are really pleased with it.
“We hope people will use it well and that other businesses will join.
“And hopefully it will bring more folk onto the trust.
“We’ve other ideas about what we want to do. Those won’t happen overnight but hopefully this is a good start.”
Conversation