Cookie Policy

1. Scope

This policy describes cookies and similar technologies used by Underwater Scotland® at underwaterscotland.co.uk. It covers browser storage, mapping resources, saved locations, video content and site services. The site may also use technical security and session cookies supplied by its hosting or WordPress components.

It is designed with UK privacy and electronic communications rules in mind. The applicable rules depend on the technology and its purpose; not every technical request involves a cookie.

2. What cookies and browser storage mean

A cookie is a small file a website may store in your browser. Local storage is another way of remembering information on your device. UK rules can apply to both, and to other technologies that access information stored on a device.

First-party technologies are operated under the website's domain. Some files and services are provided by other domains. A browser may contact these providers to load a resource, which can disclose technical information such as an IP address even if no cookie is placed.

3. Saved Places

The Saved Places feature in Hidden Locations uses your browser's localStorage under the key underwaterScotlandSavedPlaces. It keeps the IDs of places you choose to save so that you can find them again in the same browser.

The list is held on your device and may remain there until you remove it, clear site data or the browser deletes it. Using a different device or browser may show a different list. You can remove places using the save/unsave controls or clear the website's local storage in browser settings.

4. Interactive map and location services

The website uses MapLibre to display an interactive map with location pins. Map style and tile files are requested from OpenFreeMap (tiles.openfreemap.org), and the map library is loaded through unpkg.com. These are not Google Maps iframes.

These external requests may make technical information, including your IP address and browser information, available to the providers. Whether the providers set cookies or similar technologies must be checked in a live browser audit.

If you use the Near me feature, your browser asks for your permission to access device location. You can refuse or withdraw this permission using your device or browser settings. Searching by postcode sends the postcode you enter to the site's location-search service.

5. Website services and media

The site retrieves place details, ratings, weather and other data using site-managed API endpoints, including services hosted at *.underwatertresurescotland.workers.dev. The website also loads images and some video files from assets.zyrosite.com.

These connections are used to provide requested website content. Individual services may receive ordinary request information such as IP address, device/browser details and time of access. A live technical audit is needed to identify any cookies set by hosting, plugins or external resources.

6. TikTok and Google directions

The code reviewed for the Home page contains a link to TikTok rather than an embedded TikTok video player. Clicking the link takes you to TikTok, where TikTok's own privacy and cookie practices apply: TikTok Privacy Policy.

The location map also offers a Google Maps directions link. Google Maps opens as an external website when you choose it; it is not embedded as the map on this site. See Google Privacy Policy.

7. Cookies used for operation and security

WordPress, Hostinger and any enabled security or site plugins may use cookies or similar technologies for basic operation, administration, security, preventing misuse and delivering pages. Their exact cookie names and retention periods depend on the site's live configuration.

Technologies that are strictly necessary for a service you request may be allowed without consent. Other storage or access technologies require an applicable legal exception or valid consent, depending on their purpose.

8. Analytics, advertising and consent

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has been configured as an optional website analytics service. When enabled by the website administrator and allowed by you, it helps us understand visits, page views, traffic sources and interactions such as scrolling and outbound-link clicks, so we can improve Underwater Scotland®. GA4 can also process technical information about your browser, device and approximate location.

Analytics is off by default. Our UWS Cookie Consent integration does not load the Google Analytics tag or send GA4 measurement events unless you select Accept all or enable Analytics under Settings and save your choice. If you select Reject all or make no choice, GA4 is not loaded by this integration. Accepting analytics may allow first-party analytics cookies, including _ga and cookies beginning with _ga_, to be set. Google's privacy information is available in the Google Privacy Policy and its GA4 cookie information.

We do not enable advertising personalisation or Google Signals through this GA4 integration. Any other optional tracking or storage technology used by hosting, plugins or external resources must be assessed separately; this policy does not claim that every possible service on the live website has been audited.

You can reject optional analytics without losing access to the website. You can also reopen your preferences using the Change cookie settings button on this Cookie Policy page when the consent feature is active. If you withdraw an earlier analytics choice, the integration records your refusal, attempts to remove its first-party GA cookies and reloads the page to stop the previously loaded Google tag. This does not automatically delete information Google may have received before you withdrew consent.

We also count how many visitors select accept or reject in the consent banner. The WordPress plugin stores daily aggregate decision counts, not individual browsing histories, IP addresses or visitor identifiers in its statistics table. A change of choice may count as another decision; these figures are not unique visitor totals. This local decision counter operates independently of Google Analytics, including when analytics is rejected.

9. Overview of the known technologies

This table describes technologies found in the supplied code or commonly involved in the identified hosting setup. It is not an independently verified list of every cookie set on the live site.

10. Your choices

You can clear cookies and local storage in your browser, adjust permissions for location access and use the website's cookie-preference controls. When UWS Cookie Consent is enabled, select Change cookie settings on this page to reopen your preferences. Switch Analytics off and select Save choices to withdraw consent, or use Reject all on the initial banner. Your choice is remembered for up to 180 days. Blocking necessary site data may limit some functions; clearing local storage removes your Saved Places list on that browser.

Browser instructions: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

11. Updates and contact

This policy may change when features, technologies, hosting providers or legal requirements change. The date at the top shows when this text was most recently revised.

Questions about the policy? Email contact@underwaterscotland.co.uk.