A team of Robert Gordon University (RGU) Computing students will begin development this summer on a new mobile app designed to bring the James McBey Trail in Newburgh to life for visitors and the local community.
Approved by the Newburgh & Ythan Community Trust, the project will see students Alfie Ford, Zoe Affleck and Mati Siwiec build the first live version of the James McBey Trail mobile app: an interactive guide that will help people explore locations connected to celebrated Scottish artist James McBey, alongside stories, artwork and local context.
Alongside the route and location guide, the app will feature curated stories and audio content to help visitors experience McBey’s work and connection to Newburgh in a more personal way. Ron Macdonald, Secretary of the Newburgh & Ythan Community Trust, and Alasdair Soussi, author of “Shadows & Light: The Extraordinary Life of James McBey”, are actively supporting the student team by helping shape the storytelling approach and identifying content that will bring McBey’s legacy to life for a modern audience.
The project began when Interface and RGU invited ideas for student mobile app projects. Gail Henderson – owner of DEV4 Online Ltd and a Trustee of the Newburgh & Ythan Community Trust, proposed the James McBey Trail app at exactly the right time, as the Trust was already exploring how a digital trail could bring McBey’s story to life. The collaboration created an opportunity to involve students, bring a fresh perspective, and turn an early concept into a real community project.
Alfie Ford, speaking on behalf of the student team, said:
“It’s a different level of motivation when you’re building something real - something that will be used by visitors and the local community. Projects like this give students practical experience, but they also show what’s possible when communities open the door to collaboration.”
The project has been supported throughout by Ross McLean from RGU’s School of Computing, Engineering and Technology (SOCET), who helped facilitate the original collaboration between the University, Interface and the Trust.