Go digital

Hundreds of local businesses have joined forces to encourage everyone to explore East Renfrewshire. Enterprises in Barrhead, Clarkston and Giffnock all feature on an increasingly popular app to help boost the region’s economy.

Explore East Ren has been developed jointly by the All About Barrhead, I Love Clarkston and Giffnock Village Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), working with digital towns hub software firm Loqiva.

And the collaborative spirit which has brought them together to unlock the opportunity has been highlighted as a model which BIDs and other organisations nationally could follow.

Explore East Ren features businesses, trails, events and local experiences which give people new ways to discover their communities and support local businesses of all kinds. Every business can log in to its own dashboard to publish events and offers and send notifications directly to residents, putting even the smallest enterprise in direct contact with its customers.

It features nearly 400 businesses and has attracted more than 1,500 downloads since launching.

One of the app’s standout features is Barrhead’s expanding heritage trail, allowing users to walk through the town centre while viewing archive photographs and stories showcasing the area’s industrial past and historic shopfronts.

People can compare present-day locations with historic images sourced from local archives, bringing Barrhead’s history to life interactively.

As part of Scotland Loves Local Week, businesses in Barrhead will help promote the trail through photography and displays featuring historic images of the shops along the route.

Meanwhile, Clarkston BID is using the app to host its town centre awards, allowing customers to vote for their favourite local businesses through the platform’s interactive survey feature.

In Giffnock, the app is supporting activity linked to the arrival of the Scotties in the City trail in June 2026, alongside food and retail stores, celebrating the area’s strong independent business scene.

Town trails and competitions are a fantastic way of helping locals and visitors alike, to move around the town in a way that benefits the local retail, service and leisure offering.

Not only are they a fun and engaging way for people to navigate and get to know the town, trails can help spread visitors, encourage exploration and walking, enhance the visitor experience and can increase dwell time.

Many town are embracing digitally accessible trails, extending the reach and reliability and no longer relying on paper trails which quickly become out of date and have associated printing costs. They still connect people with places of interest, attractions, shops and cafes on a planned route but with the opportunity to share new information, perks and to collect data easily.

Alloa, Kirkintilloch and Linlithgow Business Improvement Districts teamed up with Vicinity during Scotland Loves Local Week 2024 to offer new digital journeys of discovery for the perfect places to eat, drink and be entertained in each of the communities.

Alloa’s Toast and Taste guide, Kirkintilloch’s Kirky Cake and Coffee Trail and Coffee and Cake in Linlithgow all harnessed and showcased the rich menu of food, drink, leisure and hospitality businesses – key ingredients in the recipe of success for towns.

These trails were designed to drive footfall and celebrate all things local during Scotland Loves Local Week but providing interesting trails can be a year round activity. They could be linked to events, used and promoted through shoulder seasons where driving footfall and spend becomes event more important. The opportunities for town trails are endless and are worth considering in any place.

Love Inverness Digital Town Hub helps Cultarlann Inbhir Nis reach new audiences.

The Challenge

Cultarlann Inbhir Nis delivers Gaelic classes, ceilidhs, cultural events and community activities, but like many local organisations, it needed to reach beyond its existing networks. Relying only on social media, mailing lists, word of mouth or traditional promotion can mean activity is mainly seen by people who already know the organisation. Cultarlann Inbhir Nis wanted to make its programme easier to discover for residents, visitors and people who were new to Gaelic culture.

The Solution Cultarlann Inbhir Nis used the Love Inverness Digital Town Hub as an additional promotional and engagement channel. Through the platform, the organisation was able to use event listings to promote Gaelic classes, ceilidhs and cultural activities in the city-wide events calendar. This placed its programme alongside other things to do in Inverness, helping people discover activity they may not have actively searched for.

“The app has been a valuable tool for promoting Cultarlann Inbhir Nis events, ceilidhs and Gaelic classes to a wider audience. We’ve seen increased attendance at events advertised through the platform, particularly from people who are new to Gaelic.”
Mairead Morgan, Cultarlann Inbhir Nis

The Cultarlann Inbhir Nis business directory/profile page also gave a year-round presence on the platform, making it easier for residents and visitors to understand who they are, what they offer and how to get involved. For key activity, the hub supports visibility through notifications, featured content and offers, helping the organisation to promote specific events or encourage first-time engagement. By linking users through to further information or booking details, the platform moves people from discovery to action.

“The Love Inverness Digital Town Hub connects our businesses and organisations with our communities and visitors, while highlighting everything happening across our city centre and beyond. Cultarlann Inbhir Nis is a great example of how the platform helps organisations reach new audiences and brings people together.” Margaret Laws, Deputy Manager, Inverness City Centre BID

Powered by Loqiva.

Falkirk Delivers’ strategic investment in digital infrastructure paid back tenfold. In partnership with a local provider, the project delivered gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband across the town centre, tackling long standing connectivity challenges and opening the door to a smarter, more connected local economy. The BID ensured member businesses could access ultrafast broadband at a significantly reduced rate – collectively saving over £50,000 over two years. These savings represent more than just financial relief; they enable local traders to reinvest in growth, innovation, and digital tools.

Infrastructure was only the beginning. Falkirk Delivers also launched a programme of digital skills support, including free workshops on online marketing, e-commerce, cloud platforms and social media, empowering businesses to compete in a digital-first economy. Falkirk’s ambitions have received national recognition, shortlisted for the Connectivity Award at the Let’s Celebrate Towns Awards.