Meet the dedicated band of park pond admirals keeping the art of model boat building alive – even if their families don’t always understand…

Model boat building, once seen as an old-fashioned pastime alongside kite-flying or flower-pressing, is enjoying a quiet revival among clubs across Scotland. Groups such as the Richmond Park Model Boat Club in Glasgow's East End keep the hobby alive by sailing radio-controlled tugs, warships, ferries and fire tenders on historic park ponds, drawing members from vastly different backgrounds and professions. The trend matters because it links back to Scotland's shipbuilding heritage, when model boats were used as working blueprints for real vessels, and shows how a niche hobby has endured despite competition from video games and other modern pursuits.

Richmond Park Model Boat Club has around 70 members, including lawyers, doctors, tradespeople and retirees, with chairman Ronnie Morlan noting the club levels social and financial differences among enthusiasts. Similar clubs thrive in Largs, Dundee's Stobsmuir Pond, Anstruther and Aberdeen, though membership remains largely older and male, with only a small number of women and junior participants. Beyond the craft itself, members describe the clubs as offering valued camaraderie and an affordable escape from isolation, with Morlan pointing out that fewer men now socialise in pubs due to cost or safety concerns.