ABOUT BRAEMAR SMART VILLAGE
The Braemar Smart Village project was commissioned by Braemar Community Limited in autumn 2020, with support from the Cairngorm National Park Authority.
What is a Smart Village?
Smart Villages connect people in rural areas, supporting new and existing enterprises and creating a network of digital champions – all working together to build a vibrant, creative and sustainable rural economy.
A Smart Village is a super connected community, either based around a settlement or a cluster of settlements. We stretch the traditional term village, so a Smart Village can range in size from a hamlet to a small town. It can also represent a community of shared interest across a wider geographical area.
Smart thinking
Better places to live, do business, work, learn, play and visit.
Smart Villages can be the catalyst to make your village a better place economically, socially but also physically. When more communities take ownership of buildings and places the physical environment can be improved for business and social use. A Smart Village can be the driver for change, or make change easier.
Active communities
Thriving communities are engaged, empathetic communities. If everybody has a voice - enterprises, schools, individuals, clubs and associations - they feel empowered and more connected to their place. Smart Village portals can help by being a focal point for visitors, businesses and communities through digital notice-boards, events listings, what’s on and local information.
Innovation
The Smart Village concept nurtures innovative thinking and activity. There is a Smart Village community across Europe that shares ideas and good practice. This could be the use of smart technology, a meeting of a new group of individuals, or a simpler way to share information. Please get in touch if you have a good idea or you want to discuss a particular challenge... We may know a village that has the solution!
What's involved in Braemar Smart Village?
The Braemar Smart Village will centre around the development of this portal, including a directory of local businesses and community organisations.
As well as developing the site, the project involves support for recruiting and training a number of Digital Champions, who will gain the skills to maintain the site in future and engage with the community to ensure a steady supply of fresh news and events to keep the portal updated.
If you'd like to get involved, please contact for more details.