Caithness.org are Yell.com's Site of the Year
Graham Norton with the victorious Caithness.org | |
| Caithness.org are Yell.com's Site of the Year | |
| 04 October 2001 Today (October 4) the Caithness.org team were still slightly shell-shocked after beating the likes of Egg.com, ITN and the BBC to take the top prize in the prestigious 'Internet Oscars". Speaking to hieonline.org after their amazing win, Bill Fernie said: "This is a superb result for us. We can hardly believe it. We're all still a bit gobsmacked." The tartan-clad Caithness.org trio, father and son, Bill and Niall Fernie, and Colin Manson, had already picked up the Best Community Site award after being shortlisted in that section. But their elation at that achievement was nothing compared to that at the end of the awards ceremony when the premier award was announced. "It was an amazing moment. There was this split second after we heard the word, Caithness being announced before it sank in. Then we couldn't hear what else was happening for the three of us cheering. We got a huge ovation when we went on stage to receive the Site of the Year award from Graham Norton. It was all just a bit of blur of photographs and interviews and partying after that," said Bill. Caithness.org is the community website run by Scorrie Internet Servicesand travelled to London for Yell.com's "best on the net" awards hopeful of a placing in the Best Community Site section. But they did rather better than that. As they prepared to catch a flight home, the top award winners announced the news on Caithness.org's Message Boards and posted a picture of the big event. After an evening spent explaining to the geographically-challenged where Caithness is, and collecting a "heap" of business cards, Bill was hopeful the Yell.com plaudit will not only drum up more business for Scorrie Internet Services but make it easier to secure funding for their software development projects. "This is just incredible for us," commented Bill. "The phone has been ringing non-stop this morning and we've met tons of people here who are very interested, so we will be following up on that." Also at the Yell.com awards was Skye-based Internet consultants Gael.net Ltd whose work on the Highlands of Scotland Tourist Board website www.escapetotheedge.com was shortlisted in the travel section pitting them against the multi-million poundLastminute.com and travel.telegraph.co.uk sites. Later this month, Gael.net Ltd will be travelling to Edinburgh for the high-profile visitScotland Thistle Awards. These awards are provided for marketing excellence and thewww.wannabethere.com web site, also produced for HoST, has been shortlisted for an award in the Marketing Initiative category against British Trust Hotels and the Glasgow Restauranteurs Association. Campbell Grant, Managing Director of Gael.net Ltd said: "We are very proud that our work has been recognised nationally. It shows that a small company from Skye can compete on an equal footing with large agencies in London and Edinburgh." Links in this story: www.yell.com/awards/shortlist_community.html www.caithness.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=405&forum=5&B www.yell.com/awards/shortlist_travel_leisure.html | |