Hi Big_J,
Always welcome. Will be good to see you again.
Yes, Strathaven has its issues - ie bumpy runway in parts.
I have had a p.m. from someone who says they have been quoted £300 for an hour in a four-seater in central Scotland.
So you might just want to stick with your yet-to-be bought permit-to-fly two seater and bring family/friends down to your chosen airfield for a picnic and just take them up in turns!
Strangely, we have never lost a day flying due to the state of the grass runway - other than snow. Yes, we have had to restrict circuits on the odd day, but good drainage is an advantage of being at 847ft amsl!
The microlight ban at Prestwick is a legacy of the out-of-date thinking that has plagued this airport, unfortunately. The incident referred to was actually a group visit to the tower at Stansted where the microlighters all got a great view of an El All 747 freighter using a lot of thrust to follow a marshaller's instructions into a bay! Yes, it led to an insurance claim - no surprise there! - but I am sure the airport has seen higher ones!
Of course, if anything happens anywhere in the world, we can make our premises safer by banning people/things/activities rather than educating.
Well, it is cheaper, you don't need to pay for the training. But then you might end up with a business with no customers!!