The .scot gTLD went on General Release yesterday (23 September) at 14:00 and 4,000 domains were registered within an hour, 1,500 in 60 seconds.

Director of the DotScot Registrar Gavin McCutcheon said while the recent referendum debate has helped, .scot transcends politics and the proof of that is in the thousands who have signed up.

“There’s been huge interest in .scot since July when we went public,” said McCutcheon. “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.”

“But it’s not just about the businesses – international and local – it’s about individuals and I’m hearing lots of individuals are getting involved which ties in with the whole ethos of the web being for everyone.”

“That’s not to say the Indyref didn’t help. People on both sides are now wanting to express their Scottish identity more and I think it’s going to be really exciting to see what is registered tomorrow and then what websites go live quickly.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “With .scot domains now generally available, people at home and abroad have a new opportunity to express their Scottish identity or affinity online.

“I also look forward to www.gov.scot being adopted in the coming months as the primary web address for the Scottish Government.”