I went out to the Royal Highland Centre for Comic Con Scotland.
While there are a few conventions calling themselves ‘Comic Con Scotland’ in the country, I think Monopoly Events’ version at the Royal Highland Centre is probably the biggest. I haven’t been to them all, but it’s a strong candidate for the best. In terms of the celebrities who attend, I think it’s unrivalled in the city and probably in all of Scotland.
Star Power and Autograph Queues
Yes, there had been some last-minute dropouts, but I think this was well-managed. The organisers weren’t trying to pull a fast one; they were upfront about who was and was not attending. Even as big names dropped out, other big names seemed to step forward. It’s clearly a popular circuit for celebrities looking to stay in the limelight and sell autographs.
If you are an autograph collector, it’s worth it. The queues felt like they stretched along the entire North Hall. I’ve been to many events at the Royal Highland Centre, and I have never seen anything as busy as that, with the exception of the Royal Highland Show itself.
A Showcase of Scottish Cosplay
The cosplay was really good. I’ve often been underwhelmed by the cosplay at other Scottish conventions. Calling it ‘amateur’ is perhaps a cruel way to describe what I’ve seen previously. All cosplay is amateur, I suppose, but there’s a tier of dedication you see online and at some of the bigger international conventions that I hadn’t witnessed elsewhere in Scotland until now. Here, the cosplay was absolutely fantastic. It ran the whole spectrum from jaw-droppingly fantastic at the top end to utterly charming at the other.
Quality Merch, No ‘Tartan Tat’
I was actually quite impressed by the merch. There were fewer but larger stalls than I was anticipating, and they had more one-of-a-kind or hard-to-get merchandise. Yes, there was the whole array of Funko Pops, but they had a good range. Interestingly, I didn’t see any comic books or stalls for local creators. On the plus side, nor did I see cheap lightsabers or any of the geek equivalent of ‘Tartan Tat’. We were safe from that, thankfully.
Overall Verdict
I think Comic Con Scotland is absolutely worth a trip. If you’re a geek, you’ve got to do it at least once, just to say you have. It’s big enough that it should be on your bucket list.
I also think it’s worth doing if you are a youngster or a parent of a teen. The trip out to the Royal Highland Centre is far enough to feel like a bit of an adventure for young people, but not so far that it becomes a real ordeal. It’s a safe adventure. Getting there isn’t a completely straightforward matter—that road by the airport is incredibly busy—but it’s unlikely to go hideously wrong. If you have a car and younger kids, it’s absolutely worth the drive.
The overall buzz was really positive and friendly; it just had a good vibe. There was also plenty of security and staff on display. The team at the Royal Highland Centre are good at running events; they do it well and professionally.
Definitely one for your geeky radar.
