The thread this question arises from is regarding Scottish TMA airspace. I cannot recall a time I have ever flown an entire STAR or SID here.
Jumbo D - part of the problem is that in STMA you never go near LANAK the holding fix for GLA as you're generally on tactical heading with speed control which facilitates a silent handover to GLA;
On the EDI side, holding is more likely but speed control is often applied 'tactically' prior to the SLP to facilitate separation inbound to the holding fix.
Questioning a controller as to either the reason for early speed control, or if speed control applies seems to frustrate the controllers (at least in the ATC forum thread) and may cost you a place or two in a sequence. I hope area controllers are aware that issuing Descent when ready from cruise level is very likely to leave you less scope for meeting the level restrictions you've planned when you are subsequently given quite dramatic speed reduction prior to the SLP.
Otherwise your first post pretty well sums it up.