The Scottish Pinball Association
The Scottish Pinball Association was founded in 2016 by Ailsa and Colin Clunie. It's main purpose is to host and attend events and to encourage more people to play pinball. We represent the Scottish pinball scene at national events including UK Pinfest, Play Manchester and Play Blackpool by lending pinball machines and hosting competitions. In 2023 we provided 40 pinball machines to the Play Expo in Glasgow.
We support the charity Get Well Gamers which provides donated games and consoles to thousands of children and young people in hospital.
The Committee
Ailsa
Colin
Alan
Chris
Jason
Michael
Our Pinball Machines
The SPA collectively own several pinball machines that are available for event hire. If you are interested in hiring machines, please get in touch.
Ailsa & Colin from the SPA were invited on Gonzo's Pinball Flipperama to share their NBA Fastbreak linked pinball machines in an exciting and chaotic head to head.
Scottish Pinball League
About the Scottish Pinball League
SPA founder Ailsa runs the Scottish Pinball League with support from other SPA members. The league meets every month for fun and friendly competition. League events are endorsed by the IFPA and welcoming to players of all skill levels.
New to Pinball?
We are an inclusive, friendly bunch and our meets are beginner-friendly. Read our Beginner's Guide to learn the basics and our members will be only too happy to share some tips and tricks in-person too.
Want to Join?
Contact us to find out more!
League Meet Diary 2025
Meet 1: Super Bario, Glasgow
Baywatch
Demolition Man
Alien
Star Wars
WWF Royal Rumble
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Meet 2: Mortal Kocktail, Edinburgh
Avatar
Jurassic Park
Playboy
Wheel of Fortune
X-Files
Meet 3: Jason's House, Catrine
Batman Forever
Labyrinth
Baywatch
Fish Tales
The Getaway
Spiderman
Scared Stiff
The Simpsons Pinball Party
Demolition Man
Avengers: Infinity Quest
NBA Fastbreak
Meet 4: Chris's House, Dundee
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Taxi
King of Diamonds
Earthshaker
Guns 'n' Roses
Meet 5: Ailsa & Colin's House, Cumbernauld
Batman Dark Knight
Metallica
Indiana Jones and the Pinball Adventure
Revenge From Mars
The Addams Family
Ski jump
Arena
Police Force
Meet 6: Ailsa & Colin's House, Cumbernauld
Batman Dark Knight
Metallica
Indiana Jones and the Pinball Adventure
Revenge From Mars
The Addams Family
Ski jump
Arena
Police Force
Gallery
A taste of what we have got up to, so far, in 2025.
Scottish Pinball League 1st, 2nd & 3rd place
Scottish Pinball League @ Super Bario, Glasgow
Scottish Pinball League @ Mortal Kocktail, Edinburgh
NBA Fastbreak Tournament @ UK Pinfest, Daventry
Children's NBA Fastbreak Tournament @ UK Pinfest, Daventry
News
Exciting things are happening in Scottish Pinball...
Steve Close of the SPL wins the UK League!
At UK Pinfest in August, Steve Close became the first ever Scottish pinball player to win the UK league! He won a 9 way tie to make it into the finals and gained a massive lead on his first ball in Avengers giving him a deserved advantage right at the start of the game. Watch the video of his win below.
Ailsa Clunie inducted into Pinball Hall of Fame!
I think everyone will agree how well deserved this honour is, considering how much work Ailsa puts into the Scottish Pinball Association and the Scottish Pinball League. You can see her being inducted and her acceptance speech in the video below, taken at UK Pinfest, August 2025.
NBA Fastbreak Finals
The SPA brought our linked NBA Fastbreak pinball machines down to Pinfest. Watch the last 8 player knockouts below:
Steve Close of the SPL wins the UK League!
At UK Pinfest in August, Steve Close became the first ever Scottish pinball player to win the UK league! He won a 9 way tie to make it into the finals and gained a massive lead on his first ball in Avengers giving him a deserved advantage right at the start of the game. Watch the video of his win below.
Ailsa Clunie inducted into Pinball Hall of Fame!
I think everyone will agree how well deserved this honour is, considering how much work Ailsa puts into the Scottish Pinball Association and the Scottish Pinball League. You can see her being inducted and her acceptance speech in the video below, taken at UK Pinfest, August 2025.
NBA Fastbreak Finals
The SPA brought our linked NBA Fastbreak pinball machines down to Pinfest. Watch the last 8 player knockouts below:
Beginner's Guide
New to Pinball? Follow our handy tips to get started.
Be mindful of other players
Someone is already playing the pinball you want to play?
Simply stand behind their right shoulder (not too close!) and wait. When they finish their game, they should turn and look to see if anyone is waiting to play and give you your shot.
Only press the 'start' button once.
Otherwise, you will start a 2, 3 or 4 player which may annoy those waiting for a game. If you do this accidentally, why not ask those waiting to play with you?
Finished your game, but want to play another?
Look behind you to see if anyone is waiting to play before pressing the 'start' button. If you've already had a game, and there are people waiting, let someone else play and join the back of the queue.
How to play
Don't know the rules for the pinball machine?
Read the apron card, located at the bottom left of the playfield. Look for gameplay on YouTube. Ask other players for advice, tips and tricks!
Want to learn the basics?
Here are some tutorials on YouTube showing basic flipper and nudging skills:
Useful Links
A list of useful links to our friends across the pinball community.
A crowdsourced, open-source, interactive worldwide map and app that helps people find public pinball machines to play by listing their locations. Relies on the community to keep the listings up to date.
Provides news, analysis, and reports on the pinball industry. It offers coverage of new games, company news, interviews, event recaps, technical articles, and site reviews, making it a go-to resource for pinball enthusiasts.
The UK Pinball League (UKPL) is a nationwide organisation that organises a competitive pinball season across eight regions, culminating in a national finals tournament held at UK Pinfest.
The UK's largest and only dedicated annual pinball event. The weekend-long event features over 100 pinball machines set to free play, and hosts open tournaments, league finals, social events and vendor stalls.
The International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA) is the global governing body for competitive pinball, responsible for organising and sanctioning tournaments worldwide.
A vibrant and welcoming online community dedicated to all things pinball! Bringing together pinball enthusiasts from all over the world, the forum allows for pinball discussion and sales of machines.
Play Pinball in Scotland
This list of venues in Scotland with publicly accessible pinball machines is powered by data from Pinball Map.
If we've missed one, let us know.
GLASGOW
EDINBURGH
ABERDEEN
ELSEWHERE
Support the SPA
Keeping pinball alive in Scotland takes time, energy, and a whole lot of flippin' money! Support your friendly local Pinball Association by purchasing some of our merch or buying a Pinball Credit. All money made goes straight back into the SPA allowing us to buy more Pinball Machines to take to events and share with you all!
Buy us a Pinball Credit
Help us keep tournaments rolling, machines maintained, and the community thriving.
Buy Scottish Pinball Merch
Available in unisex sizes XS-XXL
Get in touch
If you are interested in any of the following, please let us know:
Event Information
Hiring our machines
Our Charity Work
How to join the Scottish Pinball League
Press/Media Enquiries
To keep up-to-date on our news, please follow our facebook page