App being launched to help people avoid crowds at beaches

The innovative app uses sensor data captured live from 11 of the county’s coastal car parks and will allow users to check the ‘busyness’ of these beaches before setting out or while travelling to a destination.

Several of the beaches, such as Gullane and Yellowcraig, are extremely popular with visitors and locals alike, attracting large crowds.

Councillor John McMillan, spokesperson for economic development, welcomed the idea.

He said: "With over 40 miles of stunning coastline and 12 beaches with East Lothian Council operated coastal car parks, there is more than enough space for people to be able to visit and enjoy our wonderful coast in a safe and responsible way.

“The app also encourages visitors to explore the wider East Lothian offer and brings benefit to businesses.

“We are delighted to be working with the team at Edinburgh University on the innovative use of sensor technology and real time data in our destination marketing and management."

Gullane Bents. Copyright Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Visitor numbers to coastal hot spots across East Lothian have increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

The numbers reached such a level that those responsible for the promotion and management of the coastline realised that action needed to be taken to protect fragile environments and to help those using the beaches to enjoy them in a safe and responsible manner.

Now, the Visit East Lothian app, which has a traffic light system to help visitors and residents avoid busy hotspots, is being launched.

Users search for their preferred parking location – green means quiet, amber means getting busy and red means very busy and it is recommended you park elsewhere.

The app makes it easy to check other nearby locations and find a quieter spot.

Users can see at a glance the main facilities and amenities at each beach, as well as cafes or attractions in the local area they might also consider visiting.

East Lothian Council staff will have the ability to manually add and update information, so that those looking to visit the beach will have the most up to date and reliable intelligence on how busy the area is, and how and where to avoid adding to congestion, to help them and others have an enjoyable experience.

READ MORE: Funding for new East Lothian beach app to help people avoid crowds

The project is at the forefront of Scotland’s Traveltech work enabling the use of technology in the tourism industry, in hospitality businesses and by visitors to maximise the travel experience.

Joshua Ryan-Saha, director of Traveltech for Scotland, said: “This project shows what data can do to help tourism in Scotland.

“Capturing and sharing live ‘busy-ness’ data with visitors to East Lothian’s beaches will mean that more people will be able to enjoy more of the coastline and its local businesses, more of the time, without places becoming too busy.

Longniddry Bents. Copyright Richard Webb and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

“This technology has the potential to help even more tourism destinations better manage their hotspots.

“It is just one of many data-driven initiatives at the University of Edinburgh, part of its commitment to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which attracted £270m of government investment.”

The free app will be available on Android Handsets from the Google Play Store and for Apple handsets from The Apple App Store.