The Iron Thistle 2026 — We’re Sponsoring the Squad Category
We are delighted to announce that Hawk Miniatures is a category sponsor and trade vendor at The Iron Thistle, Scotland’s new miniature painting competition and hobby day, taking place on Saturday 3rd October 2026 at The Falkirk Braes Grange Centre, Redding Road, Brightons, Falkirk, FK2 0AA, from 9:30am to 5:30pm.
This is the inaugural Iron Thistle, organised by Cirsium, and it has been put together as a welcoming day for painters of every level – from first-time competition entrants to experienced display painters. Alongside the painting competition there are workshops, a community diorama, professional photography of every entry and feedback sessions with the judges. It is exactly the kind of event we want to support, so we are proud to be part of it from year one.
Hawk Miniatures Sponsors the Squad Category
We are the official sponsor of the Squad category: squads of three or more models, either on gaming bases or displayed together on a larger plinth. Squad painting is where a good brush earns its keep – consistency across several models, clean edges and detail repeated again and again – so it felt like the right category for a brush maker to get behind.
The full list of competition categories is: Single Miniature (sponsored by Element Games and Artis Opus), Large Scale & Bust (Trident Futureworks), Vehicle & Monster (Handiwork Games), Squad (Hawk Miniatures), Diorama & Vignette (Four Score Gaming), and a non-competitive Beginner category for painters who want to show their work and get constructive feedback without the pressure. Your ticket includes one entry in as many categories as you like.
Find Us at the Show
Show special: we will have a special paintbrush set available exclusively at The Iron Thistle – come and find us on the stand to see it. Quantities will be limited, so come early if you want one.
We will also have a trade stand on the day, so come and say hello. We will be bringing the complete Hawk Brushes range of Kolinsky sable brushes, including the round Kolinsky sable brushes in every size, the Micro & Gaming brushes, and the Alex Paints Essentials sets – put together with Alex Cowles of Alex Paints, who is hosting the four-hour Learn to Paint Faces workshop at the show. We will have a selection of our fine scale resin figure kits with us as well.
What’s Included With Your Ticket
Entry into the painting competition (as many categories as you wish), a professional plain-background photograph of every competition entry, access to judge and host feedback after judging, the community diorama painting activity – this year’s scene is warriors and peasants battling a creature from Scottish mythology – and an all-day self-serve miniature photography area with guides to help you get better shots of your own work. Painting, sculpting and staged-photography workshops are available as optional add-ons.
On the Day
Doors open at 9:30am. The competition entry deadline is 12:00pm, with judging from 12:00pm to 4:00pm and workshops running 11:00am–1:00pm and 1:30pm–3:30pm. Competition announcements are at 4:00pm, followed by feedback sessions until close. Timings are preliminary and may change nearer the date, so check the event website before you travel. The venue is a 15-minute walk from Polmont train station and within easy reach of the central belt.
Tickets and Entries
Tickets are on sale now at Central Sector Wargaming and numbers are limited, so do not leave it too late. Once you have a ticket, register your competition entries at entries.theironthistle.com, and read the full competition rules for category guidance, eligibility and judging criteria.
If you are entering the Squad category, good luck – we are looking forward to seeing what turns up on the tables. See you in Falkirk on 3rd October.
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