Well after a trip up too the Highlands I can report that the lighting is changing. In Aviemore all of the Alpha 8s (MK11) have now been replaced with a combination of SGS203s in the town centre, and Blue DW Windsor Rios on the road leading north out of Aviemore. The S&L columns have been retained and painted blue. The unusual wooden columns still remain.
In the other towns which all previously supported the same setup Stewart and Lloyds with Alpha 8s have had their columns either replaced or lantern swaps, the lantern of choice appears to be the Arc. Although a current scheme I saw was using Sapphires.
One thing that was nice too see was some SOX Gamma 6s in a caravan park. The last time I was there the Cairngorm Hotel was lit from the front with three 90W SOX floodlights at ground level. These have now been replaced with 250W SON floodlights.How very interesting! The authority has missed its opportunity to go for more modern technology and chosen the SGS203 instead. I would have thought it would have installed the Rios in the town centre and the SGS203s leading out of the town centre as well, but clearly the authority has other ideas! Nice to know that the S&L columns and those unusual wooden columns have been retained too, as I really like them!
The field centre and lodge I stayed in when I went to the Cairngorms back in 2010 had its car park lit with Gamma 6s as well, but running SON. It seems that the Gamma 6 is a popular private lantern in the Highlands!