OK - so front DRC is knackered - that's what the light misting of oil etc shows.
When they replace the shocks they used to always replace the valves etc as it was impossible to properly repressurise the system - there is now a tool available to do this, though I seem to remember a recent thread where we concluded Inverness probably didn't have one. The quality/experience of the dealer has a big impact on their ability to change out DRC properly.
Your car is too old for the free replacement they offered, and I assume you don't have a warranty covering the DRC system.
Given where you live you really have two options: replace whole DRC, which will then give you two years warranty on parts etc, but will cost you about £2500, and probably best to head down to Glasgow or similar to find an experienced dealer; or go for the Coilover route. Here you could head down to Grizz or MRC, or you could buy the parts and do it yourself, or get a good local Indie if you have one to do it/assist.
Coily's come in various guises - H&R's are the lowest cost and have limited adjustment - PSS9's and 9+'s cost a bit more but have adjustment on damping etc. There are a couple of good postings on here of how to do the job - not too difficult, especially if you have a ramp.
Opinions on Coilies vary - some, especially Mooch, swear by them, others have found them less satisfactory, especially when heavily loaded. There is little experience so far as to how long they last - typically dampers last up to 100K but begin to get "tired" towards the end of that. DRC was put there by Audi for a reason, and when it works it's great - and when it doesn't, it's crap! It was regarded by Audi as giving the best compromise of comfort vs handling - coilies can improve the sporting performance, but generally at the expense of some loss of comfort.
Coilies will probably give you higher resale if selling privately to another enthusiast, but probably lower the value if trading via a dealer who will just see it as a "mod" which generally they don't like/understand.
If you do put coilies on, then you must tell your insurer and there may be a slight increase in premium.
So, it all depends on what you use the car for, how many miles, whether you have a decent local indy, and how log you plan to keep the car plu your preferred exit route!
Hope that helps - happy deciding
Dave
PS - that room in front of the car with the pink door is called a "garage" - the idea is you put the car in to avoid that nasty white stuff spoiling your car!!!!
