Scale Scotland was moved forward a week, to 26 August, so that it would fall during the holidays. This was done in the expectation that more people could attend, which seems to have worked out well for the show. It also meant that it overlapped with the last weekend of the Edinburgh Festival, resulting in more options for those not interested in the show, but also far higher hotel room prices. Information about the show was widely shared through social media, and thoughtfully included notes on parking and the free shuttle service provided to and from the Park and Ride near the hotel. As I was being picked up from a different hotel in the morning, I arrived before the start of the show, in time for the bacon rolls and tea, which made for a great breakfast for all those involved in setting up that morning, vendors, Scale Scotland members and volunteers alike. The general layout of the show was the same as last year, basically taking over the wing with meeting rooms at the Doubletree by Hilton near the airport. The two main rooms were again for vendors and clubs, with additional vendor space in the wider parts of the corridor, and one room nearer the entrance to the conference area.
The demos had changed slightly from last year, in a good way, I think. The setup of the individual demos was the same, taking place in one of the rooms near the welcome desk, but this year there were two rather than three, and entrance was free. As a result, both demos, by Adam Wilder and Kristof Pulinckx were filled to near capacity! The competition was spread over two rooms like last year, with tables at a proper height for viewing, and Scale Scotland members endeavouring to ensure in a pleasant and polite way that bags and overenthusiasm on the part of visitors did not cause any damage to the models. The competition had a good number of entries in a range of categories, as can be seen in the accompanying pictures. The club stands also showed a variety of models on display, with members happy to discuss their work.
The BBQ was set up in the courtyard again for an easy lunch, with the hotel restaurant in the lobby as alternative. Overall the atmosphere was very welcoming and friendly, like last year, with the Scale Scotland members being great hosts again. A World War I re-enactment group was also on site, walking around in uniform, and displaying various pieces of equipment. The show was rounded off again with an excellent whisky social by Glenmorangie, consisting of a lecture by the Master Distiller, accompanied by whiskies to be tasted and analysed, with explanations provided – awesome!