How do we use cookies

We use cookies to improve your experience of using our website.

What are 'cookies'?

A cookie is a small text file which is downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or application. Cookies typically contain two pieces of information:

  • The name of the website
  • A unique ID

Your web browser then sends these cookies back to the website or application on each subsequent visit so that they can recognise you and remember things like personalised details or user preferences. They may also be used for things such as website authentication (logging into a website), website analytics (number of site visitors, browser types etc.), saving items to a shopping cart or anything else that can be accomplished through storing text data.

Types of cookies

There are two types of cookies:

  • Session cookies: These allow a website to link the actions of a visitor during a single browser session. They might be used by an internet bank or webmail service. They are not stored long term and are considered 'less privacy intrusive' than persistent cookies
  • Persistent cookies: These remain on the user's device between sessions and allow one or several websites to remember details about the visitor. They may be used to avoid the user having to provide a password with each visit

Which cookies does The Church of Scotland use and why?

The Church of Scotland uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best possible experience. Our cookies are completely safe and secure and will never contain any sensitive or personal information about you. They cannot be used to identify an individual. Some features may store a cookie on your computer while using them and may not work if you do not let the browser set the cookie on your computer. By continuing to use our website we will assume that you are happy to receive all of our cookies and are consenting to their use.

The cookies used on this website have been categorised based on the categories found in the ICC UK Cookie guide. If you continue without changing your browser settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on our website.

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies enable services you have specifically asked for and are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features. For example: accessing secure areas, shopping baskets, or remembering previous actions (e.g. entered text) when navigating back to a page in the same session cannot be provided. This is also includes a cookie, which checks and saves your cookie preferences.

Performance cookies

These cookies collect anonymous information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don't collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works. Any data collected is limited to the website operator's use only, for managing the performance and design of the site. These cookies can be third party cookies but the information must be for the exclusive use of the publisher of the website visited.

Functionality cookies

These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) to provide an enhanced, more personal experience. For instance, remembering a choice such as not to be asked again to fill in a questionnaire or user poll, or fulfilling a request by the user such as submitting a comment. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Other third party cookies

A cookie is classed as being first party if it is set by the site being visited. However, a third party cookie is issued by a different server to that of the domain being visited. It could be used to trigger a banner advert based on the visitor's viewing habits or for analytical purposes. For example, when visiting a page with content embedded from YouTube, Google or Facebook. These service providers may set their own cookies on your web browser. Such anonymous cookies may be set by that third party to track the success of their application or to customise their application to you. The Church of Scotland does not control the use of these cookies and cannot access them, as they can only be accessed by the party who originally set them. You should check the third party websites for more information about these cookies.

How to control your cookies

If you don't like the idea of websites storing information on your device and find it a little intrusive, it is possible to control cookies by following the steps below. However you should be aware that you may lose some features and functionality of the website if you do so. Cookies, including those which have already been set, can be deleted from your device. Since cookies are maintained by your web browser, the method of enabling or disabling them will greatly depend on which browser you are using. In some cases, you can choose to accept cookies from the primary site, but block them from third parties.

Further information on cookies