Dull celebration of Bland and Boring international links
A trio of tedious-titled towns turn their mundane names to their advantage with a lighthearted appeal to potential visitors.
Friday 28 July 2017 15:52, UK
Dull, Bland and Boring are communities that have shown they are anything but - by launching a humorous bid to promote their respective areas to tourists.
The triumvirate of tedious-titled towns, which span three continents, joined forces in the lighthearted celebration of the mundane.
To mark the partnership, dubbed the League of Extraordinary Communities, the Perthshire village of Dull is preparing a warm Highland welcome for a delegation jetting in from Bland in New South Wales, Australia.
Bland's tie-up with Dull came after the Scottish hamlet twinned with the quiet American farming town of Boring, Oregon, back in 2012 - a move that required the official seal of approval from the state Senate.
After their pairing, 9 August was declared as "Boring and Dull Day" across the US state. There is also an official Dull and Boring tartan in a sign of the close links.
Putting mediocre on the map:
:: DULL - Tiny Highland village with around 84 residents
:: BORING - A small farming town in Oregon with around 8,000 residents - some 5,542 miles from Dull
:: BLAND - A former gold prospecting area in New South Wales, which has about 6,000 residents - some 10,343 miles from Dull
Iomhar Fletcher, chairman of Dull and Weem Community Council, said the visit by the group led by the Mayor of Bland, would provide an opportunity to strengthen links between their communities.
A civic reception, hosted by local provost Dennis Melloy, is being held in their honour, where a dram is set to be raised to Boring absent friends.
Mr Fletcher said: "The partnership has done wonders for our small community. We are always meeting visitors who have heard about it and wanted to see the place for themselves.
"We have possibly got the most photographed village sign anywhere in the UK.
"People queue up to get pictures taken."
He added: "It's a nice humorous, lighthearted way of promoting your community.
"We have so many things to offer people when they come here.
"We always have sunshine and don't have midges."