Mariner,
Except it wasnt open FIR it was the Scottish TMA, 9000-10000 ft over the Forth Road Bridge (which is where the first of the chaos ensued) is controlled airspace. Hence the workload issue.
Also for the record, although I fly to pay the mortgage, a good chunk of my income goes into owning and flying an aircraft of similar weight if not less than Captain 'Biggles' dropped. Anti-'ultralite' I am not. Open FIR fly as high as you like.
CRX.
FISBANG could pick up the details regarding airspace and the like, such as did he have permission to enter the TMA or not.