1 Enchanted Forest
Faskally Woods, near Pitlochry, from Sat
Named Best Event at the Scottish Thistle Awards in March, the reappearance of Highland Perthshire’s much-garlanded woodland attraction is always a sure sign of the arrival of autumn. Typically a magical mix of atmospheric after-dark walking and choreographed sound, light and music, this year’s production - called Flux - also features treetop aerialists and in-situ storytellers, as well as an extended four week run for the first time. It can take up to 90 minutes to get around, so be sure to wrap up warm. Tickets are £16-£20 (children £8-£10).
www.enchantedforest.org.uk
2 Great Scottish Run
Glasgow Green, Sat-Sun
Roar your support and soak up the action as world-class athletes including Haile Gebrselassie and Jo Pavey join thousands of participants taking to the streets of Glasgow for Scotland’s biggest mass participation running event. Sunday’s half marathon is sold out, but there are still a limited number of entries available for the 10K race from the pop-up shop in St Enoch Centre for £26. Warm up on Saturday with a day of family events - places are also still up for grabs for the Junior and Family Run events.
http://greatscottishrun.com
3 Sumo Run
The Meadows, Edinburgh, Sun
If the thought of wobbling along with hundreds of other runners, joggers and walkers dressed in an inflatable Sumo suits sounds like more fun, this very silly annual charity fitness challenge might be a better bet. The event starts and finishes at the Pavillion Café by the south entrance to Jawbone Walk, where there will be a mass inflation of costumes and a warm-up before the race gets under way at 10.30am. Naturally enough, spectators are also positively encouraged. Enter for £25, plus a £50 fundraising.
http://sumorun.com
4 Ayrshire Beer Festival
Troon Concert Hall, Thu-Sat
The 16th annual real ale festival to be held in Troon promises to be the biggest yet, with 150 different beers from around Scotland and the rest of Britain to sample, as well as a second bar showcasing beers specifically from islands around the UK. If you’ve ever pondered the difference between an IPA or a best bitter, there are also a limited number of £5 places available for a tutored tasting session at 5pm on Friday afternoon. Open until 11pm on all three days, Festival entry is £5 (£3 CAMRA members).
www.ayrshirebeerfestival.co.uk
5 Turner Prize 2015
Tramway, Glasgow, from Thursday
View works nominated for the prestigious visual art award, which counts Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry and Gillian Wearing among its previous winners, being staged in Scotland for the first time this autumn. The free exhibition, which runs until January, is accompanied by an extensive programme of workshops, talks, tours and activities for people of all ages exploring the work of the four nominees - Assemble, Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel, and Nicole Wermers. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony at Tramway on December 7.
www.tramway.org/turner-prize
6 Cowal Fest
Cowal Peninsula, from Fri
The recent spell of fine weather looks like it might hold, so why not get out and explore one of the wildest corners of the west coast? Billed as one of the largest and most varied walking festivals in Scotland, Cowal Fest offers 60 expert-led walks of varying difficulty covering hills, history, heritage and wildlife - plus outdoor activities such as mountain biking and canoeing. There’s also a programme of live music and tours of the area’s finest houses and churches for those who’d prefer to take things a bit more easily.
www.cowalfest.org
7 Midlothian Science Festival
Across Midlothian, from Fri
A fortnight of fun and accessible science, a mere stones-throw from the capital. Starting on Friday with a free bubble show at Mayfield Library, other weekend highlights include an activity-packed open day at Easter Bush Campus (home of Edinburgh Uni’s Dick Vet school), and a day of explosive rocket demonstrations and walks with countryside rangers in Roslin Glen. With plenty of drop in events, talks and demonstrations to come on everything from bees to the paranormal, much of the programme is free - including next weekend’s showpiece Science Alive Gala day at the Lasswade Centre.
midlothiansciencefestival.com
8 A Century of Style
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, daily
Subtitled ‘Costume and Colour 1800-1899’, Kelvingrove’s new autumn exhibition dips into Glasgow Museums’ costumes collection to showcase a wealth of rarely-seen 19th-century clothing, along with the stories of the women, men and children who wore it. Showing that Glasgow has long been a city of style, items include outfits made with delicate embroidered cottons and elaborate woven silks, as well as beautiful wedding dresses and opulent evening gowns created by the city’s leading dressmakers. Running until February 14, tickets are £3-£5 (under 16s free).
www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/kelvingrove
9 Edinburgh Coffee Festival
Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh, Sat
Part of Scotland’s year of Food and Drink celebrations, Edinburgh’s first ever coffee festival brings together roasters, brewers, baristas, cafe owners and equipment suppliers for a day of demonstrations, interactive workshops, sweet treats and live music. As well as a chance to stock up on samples from around the world, visitors can learn how to pull the perfect espresso, discover different types of tea, and take part in an experiment aiming to nail down whether the flavour of coffee can be influenced by music. Tickets are £10 (children under 16 free).
www.edinburghcoffeefestival.co.uk
10 Mackintosh Festival
Glasgow, from today
Celebrate the life and work of one of Glasgow’s most famous sons with a month of exhibitions, talks, workshops and special events. Highlights include a series of concerts at the Queens Cross church, a major new Art Nouveau exhibition at The Lighthouse building, and tours of the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian, re-opening to visitors after a major programme of repairs. Family activities include a free Glasgow Style drop-in at Kelvingrove this weekend, with a £10 day ticket combining unlimited bus travel with entry into Mackintosh buildings also available to visitors in October.
www.glasgowmackintosh.com/festival
Don’t Miss
Balmaha’s Braw Weekend
Balmaha, Loch Lomond, Sat-Sun
Two days of food, drink and family fun on the banks of Loch Lomond. Visitors will be able to sample the wares of local producers, sit down to a Mad Hatters Tea Party, watch cookery demonstrations and enjoy live music from the likes of Dave Arcari. Entry is free.
www.balmahasbrawweekend.co.uk
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