Scotland’s first air show
This year marks the centenary of the first Lanark International Aviation Meeting. Ed Archer tells the story of the event, which attracted thousands of spectators, who saw aviation history unfold before their eyes
The Lanark International Aviation Meeting, which took place in August 1910 was the first ever air show in Scotland’s history and only the third in the world. Today, the event is all but forgotten, but this year, the Lanark Air Show Committee is aiming to tell the story of what happened in August 1910 and why it is of significance today.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, 1910 aviation was still in its infancy. Only seven years had passed since the first faltering steps had been taken by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk in America. So, why was Lanark chosen for this pioneering event? There was a strong interest in aviation in Scotland and Lanark was chosen because it had good communications and had a racecourse, which was considered an ideal venue for an air show.
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