More than 4,000 dot scot domain names were registered by members of the public within an hour of the domain becoming available.

Jesus.scot and Oor Wullie.scot were among the first to be purchased from 2pm today.

Amongst the other 1,500 domains snapped up in the first 60 seconds were Labour.scot, Braveheart.scot, the45percent.scot, Cocacola.scot and Facebook.scot. One customer registered 20 different .scot domains.

It became available after the international regulatory body for domain space, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), expanded the number of generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) to include .scot.

Not-for-profit company Dot Scot Registry was created to apply for and operate the .scot domain.

The price depends on the registrar selling but buyers can expect to pay around £20 to £25 for a one-year registration.

A number of business and organisations were given the opportunity to register in July, including the Scouts.

Graham Haddock, chief commissioner for Scouts Scotland, said: "Online is where many people - members and potential members - get their information about Scouts and even though we are a successful global youth organisation, Scouting exists in local communities right across Scotland.

"As such, it made complete sense for the Scouts in Scotland to have a strong presence and identity via www.scouts.scot. It also plays to remind people that the Scout Association is an ever-changing organisation as we always seek to be relevant and attractive to young people."

Director of Dot Scot Registry Gavin McCutcheon said: "It is entirely right that Scotland should have its own distinctive and recognisable internet domain, in particular one that will resonate internationally, helping to promote Scottish business and culture throughout the world.

"I am confident that the .scot domain name will prove to be a real asset to the people of Scotland and to the worldwide family of Scots."

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "With .scot domains now generally available, people at home and abroad have a new opportunity to express their Scottish identity or affinity online.

"I also look forward to www.gov.scot being adopted in the coming months as the primary web address for the Scottish Government."