I would really push the gliding club route, plus are the UAS still in operation out of Glasgow or have they Foxtrot Oscared?
I second getting in contact with Stuart Houston. Great guy with a lot of experience in the GA world. Flies from Prestwick Flying Club which in my opinion would be one of the best places in Scotland (if not the UK) to achieve a PPL due to the quality of the instructors.
There is no rush to join the commercial world just now. Its as dead as a dodo in terms of recruitment. Get a bit of flying in parallel with your studies and try to look into the routes mentioned above as these are probably the best bet.
Always wondered why potential airline pilots embarked on a 4 or 5 year Aeronautical Engineering course nowadays though. Not knocking you at all, however unfortunately your degree may do little for you when it comes to job hunting. It certainly would have got you a look in at BA when their sponsorship schemes were running pre 9/11. Unfortunately now it is all about how much cash you have in your pocket due to the overall expense of commercial training in general.
Best of luck with it all and enjoy Glasgow. Great night life if nothing else!
