An app that could be the cat's whiskers ...

A new app guiding people round St Andrews is to be launched by the charity founded in Hamish’s name –the Hamish Foundation.

Aimed at families, both from St Andrews and visitors to the town, the spirit of Hamish will lead youngsters on a treasure hunt around the town.

Maggie Picken, a director of the foundation explained: “We thought it would be a good idea to do a trail around St Andrews that would encourage visitors and locals to get out and see things they might never have seen before.”

Then the team heard about a treasure trail app based around the legend of Greyfriars Bobby – and Hamish-app was born.

Supported by a paper map, the trail will ask a series of questions, taking those following through St Andrews and highlighting some of the less well known features.

The trail will end up at Jannetta’s Gelateria in South Street, where those who have completed the trail successfully will be rewarded with a special gold, silver or bronze badge.

Along with fellow Hamish directors Linda-Anne Beaulier and Debbie MacCallum have the trail in development now, and hope to have the app ready for release early this summer.

“We really hope people will buy the app,” Maggie said, “not only is it good fun, it will also provide income to help the foundation achieve some of our ambitions for St Andrews.”

The team are not content to rest on their laurels with one app, they are also planning a Royal Trail, capitalising on the town’s close connections with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

“They met while at university in town,” Maggie explained, “but there is very little information about them in St Andrews.

“I was a volunteer at the Open last year, and the most common question I got was about the couple, so it seemed obvious to develop a trail around them.”

Hamish McHamish achieved national and internation fame after public of the book Hamish McHamish of St Andrews: Cool Cat About Town, but was well known in St Andrews before that as the cat who made his home wherever he was – shops, other people’s homes, offices and in university premises.

He was immortalised when St Andreans raised funds to commission a statue of the meandering moggie which was unveiled two years ago.

Hamish died of natural causes last year.

The Hamish Foundation is a charitable organisation created by a volunteer team who want to improve the facilities and lives of children and families in and around St Andrews.