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FAQ

The FAQ is currently being updated and re-written. Information and formatting contained within it is subject to change.

Why Inverness?
How Do I Get There?
Why should I stay in the Mercure Inverness?
How do I book my rooms at the Mercure Inverness?
What if I don’t want to stay in the Mercure Inverness?
Where else is there to eat?
What else is there to do and see?
Is there a hotel capacity limit and is there a cap on the number of tickets being sold?
How far are we from Loch Ness?
Why are you using stock imagery of the Mercure Inverness and the city?
How can I pay for my attendance?
I heard that ScotiaCon 2011 was amazing – is this true?

Why Inverness?

Inverness was chosen as the perfect location that reflected the spirit of ScotiaCon. Whereas England is a country better known for its big cities and industrial landmarks,  Scotland is more known for its breath-taking vistas and natural beauty. The ScotiaCon staff felt it would only be fair to allow attendees to experience this “true” Scotland by surrounding them with trees, lakes, fresh air and plenty of green as opposed to the more traditional grey, crowded and claustrophobic city backdrop. This way, ScotiaCon already has something new and different to offer its potential attendees – something that is important when trying to join the rank of an already successful and brilliant UK furry con.

Although not a major Scottish city, Inverness still boasts a superb choice of places to eat and drink. Not only does the location of the hotel mean the nearest restaurants and bars are next door (this is no lie!) but also such well known names such as McDonalds and Subway are within walking distance. There are plenty of sights to see and things to do from historic distilleries to waterfalls, and with a national airport, rail, and of course road links to Inverness, travel is easy.

After the success of last year’s convention and the resounding positive support for the local area and hotel we felt that changing the location in the second year would just be plain silly. After all – we’re here to make sure YOU have an awesome time at ScotiaCon!

 

How do I get there?

For more information on travel, please see our travel page.

 

Why should I stay in the Mercure Inverness?

Apart from the obvious ease of rolling out of bed into a convention every morning, guests staying at the Ramada Inverness receive complimentary breakfast and access to the hotel gym and swimming pool which – trust us – is very nice!

This year, another great reason to stay at the official convention hotel is the introduction of our new FLEXI-PAY system for any hotel room bookings. With FLEXI-PAY, once you have bought your convention ticket, you can then book your room direct with Mercure – and pay any day up to the first day of your check-in stay! That means that you can pay 6 months in advance, a few weeks or on the very day of your check-in – making it easier to spread your payment for ScotiaCon over a couple of months to your convenience.

Normal cancellation fees still apply if you decide to cancel your room booking. Please check these with Mercure Inverness upon booking

 

How do I book my rooms at the Mercure Inverness?

You can only book rooms at the Mercure Inverness at the special discounted rate once you have registered for your con attendance, paid for it and received confirmation of your attendance ticket. In that confirmation email you will receive a unique discount code and a telephone number for the bookings line. At this point, you can decide between two options:

  • Call the telephone number and book your rooms with the code provided

OR

  • Send an email to registration@scotiacon.co.uk with your room requirements, full names of guests staying and payment details including card number, expiry date, cardholder name and security code. The ScotiaCon staff will take care of your booking and forward you the details.

We realise that some of you will not be comfortable with emailing your details, hence us providing the first option. We’ve found that the above options allow FLEXI-PAY on your rooms – something that can cost more than the price of an attendance ticket. We think that FLEXI-PAY makes it more affordable for anyone to attend the convention – spreading the cost of the convention out over a few months, rather than paying a big sum in one go.

When booking your rooms, payment will NOT be taken. The card details are used in case of cancellation. Please make sure to inform the hotel or convention staff if you wish for the room to be paid for when making your booking. Remember, you can also call up at any time before check in and pay for your room – making it easier for you to spread the cost of the con throughout the year!

 

What if I don’t want to stay in the Mercure Inverness?

Even if you decide not to stay at the official con hotel we have made sure that you don’t lose out on what you get with your attendance ticket – non hotel residents can stay at the hotel till the scheduled events for each day finish. Please note however, due to local licensing laws, there will still be 00:30am cut off for last orders at the bars.

There are a lot of nearby Hotels or BnB’s for every budget. Click here to go to a google maps listing of some!

 

Where else is there to eat?

From Chinese “all-you-can-eat” buffets next door, pubs, cafes and Mc Donalds to fancy restaurants, there are an abundance of places to eat to chose from in Inverness and all are within 5-10 minutes walk.

 

What else is there to do and see?

Should you find a few spare hours during the convention, or perhaps if you arrive early and/or leave a day later, you should find plenty of things to do in and around Inverness. Apart from exploring the beautiful countryside, the famous local Tomatin Distillery, Culloden Battlefield and the very pretty Plodda Waterfalls are just some of the attractions nearby. Oh and of course, the amazing and world-famous Loch Ness just down the road!

 

Is there a hotel capacity limit and is there a cap on the number of tickets being sold?

This year we have a limit of around 200 guests to the convention. However, please be aware that there maybe less spaces than that available at the hotel depending on how busy they are and how quickly rooms are booked. We currently have 25 doubles, 25 twins and 10 singles reserved with the hotel but please be advised that this number may change quickly!

 

How far are we from Loch Ness?

According to Google Maps we are only a 20 minute drive from Loch Ness. All you have to do is turn left out of the front of the hotel and proceed for 20 minutes following the same road. In actuality the road you are on will run along side Loch Ness in as little as 14 minutes but it will take a further 5-7 minutes to reach the half way point.

 

Why are you using stock imagery of the Ramada Inverness and the city?

We’re not! All the photographic content of this website was captured in early 2010 during a reconnaissance trip to the location by saff. As such, all the photos were taken by our official photographer TK (look for “TK1_” in the title / file name) and our co-chairman Black Wolf (look for “_MG_” in the title / file name”). Surprised? It’s looking good isn’t it!

 

How can I pay for my attendance?

Via our online registration system, it will be possible to pay by Google checkout.

If you do not hold an account with the above, we also allow the option to arrange an account to account transfer from your local bank branch.

If paying by cheque is your only option, there may be the possibility of arranging this. However, please bear in mind the extra time needed from postage to clearance of this method.

Naturally, there will be a deadline for registration, and your place at the convention will only be secured once payment has gone through.

 

I heard that ScotiaCon 2011 was amazing – is this true?

Yes, but don’t just take our word for it. Just check out some of the con reports on FA, the feedback thread in the ScotiaCon sub forum on the UK Fur board – or ask some previous attendees face to face!