Cumbernauld
Hi ecosse,
I looked at doing my PPL with Border at Cumbernauld. Nice enough guys, but with only one 152 and one instructor, it would have been hard to get booked in and do the amount of flying i was looking for. Instead i went with Leading Edge up the stairs. They have two 152s at Cumbernauld and another two at their other base in Perth so booking an aircraft isn't an issue.
I really enjoyed my training with them. The instructors were good guys, many of them now good friends of mine. There is a mix of full time and part time instructors, all of whom are very accommodating so im sure you're training needs could be met fully at Leading Edge. Also, there is a good club/school vibe there. We have had some good days out recently which gives people a chance to meet other studnets and once you've got your licence, find some people to share the cost of flying with. We are heading to the tower at Edinburgh at the end of the month. And if you were looking to continue onto the CPL or FI, the Perth base offer both courses. One last thing from me, the landing fees at Prestwick are quite expensive at around £20. Cumbernauld is £12 which might balance out your fuel costs. Especially when you get into the circuit and could be doing 10+ landings at a time.
Im just giving my own personal experience of Leading edge for your consideration, i don't want to out you off going anywhere else. A few of my friends have done their PPLs at Prestwick and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I hope my experience is of some use to you.