Dull, Boring and Bland: World's most tediously-named towns team up to pull in the tourists

When the Scottish village of Dull teamed up with the US town of Boring in 2012, the two tediously-named spots became unlikely tourist destinations.

And now the Australian region of Bland wants in on the deal - with officials revealing Ordinary and Dreary, both in America, may not be far behind.

Dull found its geographical soulmate when Scottish citizen Elizabeth Leighton, who lives nearby, rode through Boring while on a cycle trip in America and phoned home with the idea to twin them.

Community councils in both areas say the move has helped put them on the map and boosted visitor numbers.

The Mayor of Bland Shire, Tony Lord, visited Aberfeldy near Dull on Friday for a tour of the area.

Perth and Kinross Provost Dennis Melloy said residents were delighted.

Boring and Bland are both named after early residents - William Boring and William Bland, respectively - while the Dull name is thought to come from the Pictish word for field.

The areas cannot officially be twinned due to differences in population size. Boring has around 10,000 residents while Bland Shire has 6,000 - and Dull, at the last count, has just 84.

But they enjoy their unofficial links and hope to add more to what they call the 'League of Extraordinary Communities'.

"We've found Ordinary and Dreary, both in America, and I think they could soon be part of it all, which is quite interesting," Mr Melloy said.

"In Perthshire it's been great for visitors and the Bland pairing is only going to help tourism.

"For me, the most important thing is joining hands across the sea. It started off as a lot of fun, and it still is, but the most important thing, I think, is not just the economy and tourism which is important to us, but it's the forging of links around the world... it's just a great way to broaden all our minds.

"The more people that want to join in the better."