Ayrshire entrepreneur Stuart Hamilton is a creator and populator of worlds: particularly miniature worlds spread across kitchen tables and overrun with 28mm high zombies.

Operating out of a small workshop in Ayr, Stuart runs Studio Miniatures, a company with international appeal that caters for those with a love of big battles on a tiny scale.

According to Stuart, his scale model zombie business is thriving.

"It was a hobby that I got into while I was still at school," says the 40-year-old.

"It was the same as most wargamers, you get involved through a family member or friends. I used to watch the classic war movies with my dad when I was growing up so that was a big influence."

If you know your Skaven (man-sized anthropomorphic rats) from your Dark Eldar (sadistic elfin pirates), chances are you are one of the dedicated tribe of what fans call The Hobby.

Started around the beginning of the 20th century with the publication of Jane's naval war rules and H. G. Wells' Little Wars in 1913, wargaming sees players create miniature battles from Waterloo to Lord of the Rings complete with characters, backdrops and special rule books in their homes and dedicated "hobby centre" shops.

"People's collections vary from a few dozen to thousands," says Stuart. "Most people use their standard dining table.

"I created Studio Miniatures about seven years ago, creating and producing miniatures for gamers to buy.

"I later became interested in zombie movies and started coming up with characters. Since then, we've had television shows like the Walking Dead and it has remained a popular trend."

Stuart's figurine business has been ticking along comfortably since its launch, with his customer base extending outside of the UK to North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

"I've had thousands of customers over the years, many of whom are repeat customers," says Stuart.

"At the conventions you go to you start to recognise faces."

Stuart comes up with the initial ideas for his miniatures which are then sent out to freelance sculptors who create the original master models before they're cast into white metal or resin to be hand-painted by those who buy them.

His most recent creations for a Hollywoodland Theme Park game saw his crowdfunder page for the miniatures receive triple the amount of funding required to bring them to life.

Featuring a battle between gun-toting survivors and a zombie horde of theme park staff infected while dressed in costumes (like the chicken suit), fans were so keen to see it made they smashed the £2000 target less than four hours after it was launched.

"People like it because they can recreate a specific battle in history or even create their own," says Stuart.

"You can have both armies from Waterloo battle against each other but have a completely different outcome - it's like chess but with many more pieces."

Despite the competition from online and console-based gaming, Stuart says The Hobby remains strong in Scotland.

"You would have thought they would have been the death knell for these older hobbies, but that doesn't seem to be the case," says Stuart.

"Around 15 years ago you might have only had two or three companies in Scotland but there are around ten now.

"At the end of the day, I don't see my own one becoming the biggest in the world. I don't have any large Lord Sugar plans, I'm just happy to make a living out of something I love."

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