Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn rush to .scot domain

The .scot domain has gone on sale to the general public, following the launch of its "pioneer programme" in July.

The .scot domains are available now and carry an average price of around £20-£25 for a one-year registration, dependent on which register is used.

The pioneer programme saw .scot sites launch for 50 partners including the Scottish government, referendum campaigners Yes Scotland and Better Together, WWF Scotland, NHS Scotland and Scouts Scotland.

Director of the DotScot registrar Gavin McCutcheon said since going live numerous big-name firms have signed up for .scot domains.

"There's been huge interest in .scot since July when we went public. We've seen strong interest from many sectors, but it's particularly pleasing to see the international digital giants like Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram get on board," he said.

Numerous registrars have reported similarly strong interest in the .scot domain. 1&1 Internet market manager Richard Stevenson said: "Looking at our pre-registration numbers, the launch of .scot has been one of the most anticipated TLDs [top-level domains] to date. With previous geo-TLDs launches like .London and .Berlin, we have seen numbers excel anticipations and expect similar results from the launch of .scot.

"The new domains provide a host of opportunities for local businesses to share their pride and strengthen their web identity as a business connected to Scotland."

Graeme Davis, managing director of IT Foundations Limited, reported similarly high interest, revealing: "One customer bought 20 domains."

:story: V3.co.uk