Our 2025 virtual Convention is now over and we extend our thanks to all those who contributed displays and all who attended. Several of the displays given at the event can be found on our Displays page.

Our 2026 Convention will be an 'in-person' event and will be held in Aberdeen, Scotland at the Aberdeen Altens Hotel between Wednesday 7 October and Sunday 11 October.

Details of travel options to and from Aberdeen, the Convention programme and hotel rates etc can be found below.

Booking forms for the event will be published with the April 2026 Maple Leaves.

We are just starting to put together the philatelic progamme for this event so if you have a display or talk you would like to offer up please contact the President.

THE 2026 CONVENTION

Will take place from Wednesday 7 October 2026 to Sunday 11 October. The event will start with an informal get-together on the Wednesday afternoon with the philatelic display programme starting on the Wednesday evening after dinner.

The detailed programme of events will be published in the New Year but expect there to be the usual room auction on the Saturday afternoon and the awards banquet on the Saturday evening. A programme of events for partners will be included as usual and we tentatively plan to include two coach outings to places of local interest.

With global warming, early October is now part of high summer in Aberdeen but it is Scotland so expect all known types of weather in the space of an afternoon.

THE CONVENTION VENUE

Will be the Aberdeen Altens Hotel ( www.aberdeenaltenshotel.co.uk )

This 4 star hotel is situated on the southern approach road some three miles from the city centre and overlooks the city and the North Sea. It has 216 bedrooms.

It has excellent access throughout for those with disabilities, a large car park (free for residents and short term visitors) and a full range of meeting rooms and free wifi throughout. In addition, it has a fully equipped gym, heated indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. It even has an in house hairdressers.

Should you wish to see some more of the ‘Oil Capital of Europe’ a regular local bus service will whisk you into the city centre in under 15 minutes. Some limited local shops are a short walk away from the hotel.

We have negotiated the following rates (all expressed as per room, per night) for the duration of the Convention:-
£140 per room per night, dinner, bed and breakfast for single occupancy of a standard double room
£185 per room per night, dinner, bed and breakfast for double/ twin occupancy of a standard double/ twin room
The hotel also has a number of rooms with larger ‘king sized’ , beds which incur a supplement of £10 per night.

Should you wish to arrive early or stay on after the Convention the same rates for DBB would apply or you can stay on a bed and breakfast only basis for:-
£115 per room per night for single occupancy or
£135 per room per night for double or twin occupancy.

Bed sizes in the UK tend to be slightly different to those in North America or in Europe so if you have any queries about exactly what a ‘Standard’ room or a ‘King’ room entails, please contact the President.

Note that, in common with many modern hotels, the Aberdeen Altens does not have any single rooms. If you are planning to attend Convention on your own you may, of course, be happy to pay the rate for single occupancy of a double room. Alternatively, we will be happy to try and pair members up to share twin rooms to reduce the costs. Just let us know your preferences and we will do our best to assist.   

TRAVEL INFORMATION TO AND FROM ABERDEEN:-

BY AIR:

Aberdeen airport is close to our venue and whilst it has no direct flights to and from North America it does have a wide range of domestic flight options. These include:-
British Airways – regular flights to and from London Heathrow
Easyjet – daily flights to and from London Gatwick and flights most days to and from London Luton
Regional carrier Loganair – currently has flights to and from Birmingham, Bristol, Norwich, Manchester, Belfast, Exeter and Southampton. The frequency of these varies quite a lot so you are advised to consult the Loganair website.

In addition to the domestic flights, KLM operate 5 flights a day to and from Amsterdam, making this a viable, and fairly hassle free, alternative to the London airports for connecting flights to and from North America.

In addition to London and Amsterdam, those members flying in from Canada or the USA can also consider flights to either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Several airlines operate low priced flights from Canadian airports into Glasgow.

If you fly into Glasgow, there is a shuttle bus service (every 10 minutes in the day, less frequent at night) which will take you to the Buchanan Street Bus Station with a drop off also at Queen Street Railway Station – see below for onward options by rail or bus to Aberdeen.

If you fly into Edinburgh, the tram service runs every 7- 10 minutes and will take you to Haymarket railway station or the Bus Station at St Andrews Square. See below for onward options by rail or bus to Aberdeen.

If you fly into Aberdeen, the Jet 727 bus service runs every 15 minutes from the terminal building to Union Square in the city centre. Details of how to get from there to the hotel can be found below. Alternatively, a taxi from the airport direct to the hotel will take around 15 – 20 minutes and should cost you between £20 and £25.

TRAVELLING TO THE UK FROM OVERSEAS

Those members who may not have traveled to the UK in the last year or two, should be aware that anyone traveling on a non-UK passport and who does not have a valid UK Visa will now require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel. This digital system is identical to those operating in Canada and the USA for people wishing to travel to those countries.

The ETA allows travel to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting friends and family etc. It is valid for 2 years, or until your passport expires whichever is sooner, and allows travel into the UK multiple times in that period.

It costs you £16 and you can apply for one online. Full details can be found at www.gov.uk/eta/apply The process is fairly simple and you get a reply by e mail; usually the same day. The ETA is digitally linked to the passport you applied with so airport check in staff can readily see if you have a valid ETA (I presume if you don’t they don’t allow you to board the plane). No paperwork or other validation is required - just your passport.

BY TRAIN:

LNER run services from London Kings Cross to Aberdeen. There are typically three trains a day which run direct with several other services requiring a change of trains in Edinburgh. Journey time from London is around 7 hours (sounds a long time but the scenery on the northern half of the journey is spectacular). These trains stop at York, Darlington and Newcastle before entering Scotland.

Rail journeys from other towns in England will require either a change in London or in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Refer to the Network Rail website for details.

Scotrail trains from Glasgow to Aberdeen depart from Queen Street Station in Glasgow. During the day there is a service once per hour direct to Aberdeen. The journey time is about 3 hours. These trains will all call at Perth and Dundee en route.

Scotrail or LNER trains from Edinburgh to Aberdeen depart from Edinburgh Waverley Station but all call also at Edinburgh Haymarket which is an easier exchange point for those taking the tram from the airport. During daytime there are trains to Aberdeen about once an hour. The journey time is 2½ hours. These trains will all call at Dundee en route.

For more information on train options, timetables and fares visit www.nationalrail.co.uk or the websites of the individual rail operators.

The railway station in Aberdeen is part of the Union Square complex. Details of how to get from there to the hotel can be found below.

BY BUS/COACH

Scotland has an extensive network of intercity bus/coach services which are much cheaper than the trains and often just as quick. There are two main rival operators, Citylink and FlixBus who both run regular services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen. FlixBus even run a few limited services direct from Glasgow airport to Aberdeen (refer to www.flixbus.co.uk for details).

From Glasgow, bus services to Aberdeen (apart from the airport one just mentioned above) depart from Buchanan Street Bus Station. During the daytime, Citylink run buses to Aberdeen every 30 minutes and FlixBus hourly.  Journey time is between 3 hours 15 minutes and 3 hours 25 minutes. These buses all call at Perth and Dundee en route. 

From Edinburgh bus services to Aberdeen depart from the bus station at St Andrews Square (there is a tram stop here for those travelling from the airport). Buses to Aberdeen depart at least once per hour (more frequently at certain times of the day) and the journey time is 3 hours. These buses call at Dundee en route.

Buses arrive in Aberdeen at the main bus station on Guild Street which is part of the Union Square complex. (Somewhat irritatingly, many of these buses from Glasgow and Edinburgh will drive right past our hotel on their way into town – however, they don’t do request stops!)

GETTING FROM UNION SQUARE TO THE HOTEL

The last leg of your journey from the Union Square complex to the hotel, some 3 miles, can, of course, be completed by taxi. However, if you are a fan of public transport you will need to step outside of the complex onto Guild Street and catch the local bus service no 3 (direction toward Cove – stop on the opposite side of the road from the Union Square complex). These buses run every 20 minutes in the week (lower frequency at the weekends) and the journey time to the Altens Hotel is around 10 to 12 minutes.

TRAVELLING BY CAR

If you plan to arrive by car, we are going to assume you will be doing this on the long road north from ‘doon sooth’. Anyone planning to arrive into Aberdeen from the north or the west can contact the President if they require any detailed route instructions.

From the south you will approach Aberdeen via the usual network of motorways and dual carriageways which allow you to take in some of the scenery. Alas, the powers that be have not yet found a way of allowing travelers to avoid the apparently endless roundabout/ traffic light combos that make up the Dundee ‘bypass’ so you just have to grin and bear that bit.

From Dundee take the A90 (beware the average speed monitors on both this road and the M9/A9 from Stirling to Perth) as far as Stonehaven from where you should continue on the A92 signed for Aberdeen South. At the southern approach to the city take a right turn onto the A956 (signed for the Harbour). After about 1 mile on the A956 you reach a roundabout. Take the third exit and the hotel is on the right hand side. For those navigating by Satnav the postcode is AB12 3LF.

The hotel has a large car park which is free for residents but remember to tell them you have a car and the number plate when checking in.

Finally, if you are driving in from foreign parts (and that includes England and Wales) be aware that the drink driving laws in Scotland are different and far more strict than those south of the border. Simple advice is don’t drive if you have had a drink.