SCOTLAND'S most exciting year has triggered unprecedented interest in the news that matters in the nation's biggest city.

The Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and referendum sparked intense debate and helped push our website eveningtimes.co.uk to record levels, averaging a 68.2% increase in the number of unique users since January.

Evening Times editor Tony Carlin said: "The website has had an exceptional year and, with the MTV awards still to come, there's plenty still to look forward to.

"We are also planning new innovations to meet the high expectations of our audience."

The referendum also provided a boost for our sister titles.

The Herald newspaper saw print sales rise by 7500 copies the day after the vote, and by almost 10,000 copies the day after.

The Sunday Herald, the only paper to openly come out in favour of independence, saw print circulation rise by 64% in September 2014, compared with the September 2013, peaking at just under 50,000 copies.

Tim Blott, managing director of the Herald & Times Group said: "We enjoyed increased print circulations and reached an unprecedented 2.9million users on heraldscotland.com in September, and were able to play a highly influential role in the wider discussions playing out on social media.

"Our digital, paid readership is growing faster than ever.

"The referendum has had a lasting effect on Scots' engagement with the social, political and economic factors which influence their lives.

"Too much is made of the demise of print newspapers - we in the industry know paper is merely one vehicle.

"The true value of newspapers lies in the quality of content and analysis - and the ways in which we use different media platforms and understand and respond to our readers' needs."