A new app has been produced which highlights “hidden” Perthshire businesses that it’s claimed will benefit from the £3 billion A9 dualling programme.
The Scottish Government has introduced the Highland Discovery tourism app which features a series of businesses, including Alyth Museum, Blairgowrie Golf Club, Dunkeld House Hotel, Atholl Arms Hotel in Blair Atholl, The Hermitage, Ossian’s Hall of Mirrors and the Birnam Oak.
The app will also include McDonald’s Cheese Shop near Blairgowrie, Cargill’s Restaurant and Bistro in Blairgowrie, Campbell’s Bakery in Crieff, the Logierait Inn, Edradour Distillery in Pitlochry, Ben Vrackie, the Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry, Killiecrankie Battlefield, the Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre and the Three Lemons in Aberfeldy.
In addition, it features an in-car audio channel offering Scottish stories and songs, which includes recordings from Pitlochry Primary School pupils.
The app will initially be trialled with the public before being rolled out in full next year.
A spokesperson for Transport Scotland said the app had been developed to promote the “less visited” rural heartlands of Scotland.
Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, claimed the app will help tourists “identify” local places of interest.
“The A9 dualling programme is about more than building a road — important and challenging as that is,” he said.
“We also want to take the opportunity to improve the visitor experience for people travelling along the route and uncover the hidden gems local to the corridor.”
He continued: “The Beta (test) launch will allow tourists and local communities to trial the app and provide feedback before a full launch next year. Local input will be vital to its success and I would encourage communities and businesses to download the app and let us have their views.
“At the same time, we are getting on with the job of dualling this important route linking the central belt with the Highlands. The section between Kincraig and Dalraddy will have remaining traffic restrictions lifted shortly, and next year we will start dualling the section between Luncarty and Pass of Birnam.
“We are also progressing with the design work for the other sections to be dualled and remain on target to finish the job by 2025.”
