I have done very well with Scotch Ale in competition. I made my Scotch Ale recipe shortly after reading Ray Daniel's Deigning Great Beer. It is an excellent insight into the traditional brewing methods.
The long, vigorous boil promotes kettle carmelization, which you want in a Scotch Ale. This can also be accomplished by boiling down a portion of the first runnings and adding them back to the main boil. I have never tasted the two methods side by side and would love to see the difference. Anybody ever compared the two methods?