Dull, Boring and Bland day: together in tedium

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Feeling jaded? Well, you’re in excellent company.

August 9 marks the annual Dull, Boring and Bland day. This auspicious day began in 2012 when the Scottish town of Dull decided to reclaim the negative connotations associated with its morose name and partner with an equally lacklustre location: Boring in Oregon, USA.

Although the two towns were unable to be officially twinned due to having very different population sizes, the partnership was fortified with a large sign welcoming visitors to the town in 2013, and stating its alliance with Boring in Oregon.

Not wanting to be overlooked in the assembly of monotony, Bland in Australia decided to jump on the bummed out bandwagon, becoming the third member in the ‘trinity of tedium’ in 2017.

Spanning three continents, the three unfortunately named communities are now united in monotony.

Celebrations marking the day have been held in the ‘league of extraordinary communities’ each year, with the Mayor of Bland, Tony Lord, travelling to the tiny Perthshire settlement to meet the Provost of Perth and Kinross, Denis Melloy in 2017.

The attention on the three modest towns has served to boost tourism, with many people travelling to the regions to capture the perfect shot of the towns’ signs.

One Dull man was so inspired by his home-town’s partnership with Boring, he designed a unique tartan to honour the special relationship in 2015.

Kilts, scarves and rugs in the striking white, red, black and blue thread are available for purchase with money going to the Boring Foundation, which is raising funds to build a community centre in Boring. Jamie Pringle, 29, who was responsible for the enterprise, told The Independent that Dull and Boring “will always have a unique connection."

“While Dull is a small community outside Aberfeldy, surrounded by fantastic beauty, the community of Dull has always been a close community, and we are all looking forward to getting our dancing shoes on for a wee ceilidh and street party in Dull tonight to celebrate the day,” he said.

Dull is a small town located 75 miles north of Glasgow and home to around 85 people. Despite its name, this Highlands region is home to some of Scotland’s most breath-taking scenery. Visitors looking to make the most of the great outdoors can enjoy hiking in the surrounding countryside, a range of outdoor activities, such as white-water rafting and abseiling at Splash, and exploring the waterfalls in the beautiful Birks of Aberfeldy. A nearby village also boasts the Fortingall Yew, a tree which is believed to be between 3,000 and 9,000 years old.

Boring is located about 20 miles south of Portland, in the north-west region of the US. The town is home to around 7,500 people and is a farming community, like Dull. On 18 August, the town plays unlikely host to the fourth annual goth float on the town’s Clackamas River. Black-clad members of the subculture will take to the water to tube four miles downstream, while presumably reflecting on death.

Those not so interested in the afterlife can check out the many hiking routes in the surrounding areas or admire the incredible views of the 3,352 metre Mount Hood, which can be seen from various places around the town

Bland is a county in New South Wales with a population of around 6,000. The Wetlands are a nature reserve providing rest and recreation facilities for local residents and a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Those interested in the area’s historic gold mining legacy can explore this further in one of the region’s gold trails.

Twinning towns was originally designed to promote tourism and good relations between different people and cultures. Town twinning began after World War II in an effort to rebuild relationships between the UK, France and Germany.