My significant other and I are considering a weekend trip to Scotland this weekend; it should be much cooler than in continental Europe 
Anybody has particular recommendations which place/aerodrome (preferably IFR and with jet fuel available, reasonable airport, and handling if mandatory, fees) we should consider? I’m a PPL/IR member so a place where their Signature aviation deal is applicable (Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness) is a possibility if it checks the other boxes.
Thanks in advance!
I think Glasgow is the place, I think, they require handling for international arriving.
Not going to be that cheap.
Cumbernauld is cheaper, but no instrument approaches.
Cluld you give details about the PPL/IR deal with Signature? What is the magnitude of the discount?
boscomantico wrote:
Cluld you give details about the PPL/IR deal with Signature? What is the magnitude of the discount?
Fixed price of 100 GBP + VAT (expressed as 50 GBP per movement). E.g. at Aberdeen that is down from 321 GBP + VAT. Aberdeen turns out to be prohibitive in other fees, 225.33 in airport fees and 288 GBP UK Border Force charge.
Thanks.
What I can add (but you probably know) is that Inverness, when using Highland Aviation, has become very expensive in 2026. They have tripled their handling fee; now 90 pounds for a 2-ton aircraft. They also don’t just pass on the HIAL fees, but charge markups. A couple of days come out to about 250 pounds.
https://highlandaviation.com/pages/handling-ppr
The big IFR airports in Scotland have become really expensive.
The option to use Leading Edge for Glasgow is only for up to 11 meters of wingspan believe and works only for domestic flights.
That Border Force charge at Aberdeen is insane. Never heard of that (the only place in knew was Biggin Hill, which charges a few quid).
Anyway, I don’t see the advantage of using an IFR airport in a place like Scotland (unless it is right at ILS minimums, which will be very unusual in summer). At the VFR airports, nobody cares how you exactly you arrive and depart.
In the basics, Glasgow is stiff-expensive but not outrageous: about 125 GBP for the airport plus 65 GBP for parking two days plus handling at PPL/IR discounted rate. But the UK Border Force Charge is… 444 GBP, completely out of whack. If one flies to an approved farm strip, there is no UK Border Force charge so why there is one for these airports where they are present anyway 24/7, that is a mystery to me.
One can fly to the aeroclub, but I would phone them and make sure they have the parking available. There was really only one space. And probably no Jet-A1.
Oban is a nice destination…
lionel wrote:
But the UK Border Force Charge is… 444 GBP, completely out of whack.
Wow. One wonders where this money actually ends up. If it really went to Border Force, it should be a uniform charge across all airports. But AFAIK, Prestwick does not have it.
Scotland has to some extent its own legal system, and they probably found some means to get paid for this job.
Europe has loads of airports which are PN for police but the police are there all the time…
