1 Perthshire Amber Festival
Across Perthshire, from tomorrow
This 10-day Scottish, folk and world music festival founded by singer songwriter Dougie MacLean is back for a ninth year across Perthshire from tomorrow. The festival hub is in Dunkeld, with concerts also scheduled in venues ranging from Perth Concert Hall to the replica iron age Crannog on Loch Tay near Kenmure. Performers include award winning songwriter Karine Polwart, Capercaillie's Karen Matheson and Dundee collective Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher. Spin-off strand Amber Discoveries offers a range of activities including walks, talks, workshops and music sessions.
2 Hobby Crafts/Crafts For Christmas
SECC, Glasgow, Today to Sunday
Get inspired and indulge in some early Christmas shopping with these two crafty consumer shows running side by side at Glasgow's SECC until Sunday. Hobby Crafts focuses on stitching and creative crafts such as jewellery making, beading, and papercraft and features a host of exhibitors and suppliers plus workshops, talks and demonstrations from craft experts and industry professionals. Crafts for Christmas offers a wide selection of handmade goods, festive food and drink, plus gift wrapping and live music. A single ticket giving access to both shows costs £7.50-£8.50.
www.hobbycraftshows.co.uk/glasgow
3 Robot
Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, until Sunday
A final chance to catch this one-off exhibition of androids from film and TV. Promising an absorbing insight into on-screen artificial intelligence from the dawn of cinema onwards, there are around 30 model robots to see, covering Fritz Lang's silent classic Metropolis (released in 1927) right up to recent blockbuster Iron Man. Also featured are characters from The Terminator, Star Wars and Red Dwarf. Admission is included with standard entry (£7.50-£11.50), which also covers the venue's vast collection of interactive exhibits on geology, evolution, science, and space.
4 Scottish Country House in Action
Pollok House, Glasgow, until October 31
It's also the last full week of Pollok House's Edwardian-themed history event, taking visitors back to how the property was from 1901-11. Aiming to give the flavour of a real-life Downton Abbey, expert volunteers will don period costumes to answer questions on the history of the house while in character. Pollok House, run by the National Trust for Scotland, boasts lavish family rooms full of period furnishings and huge servants' quarters, along with one of the UK's finest collections of Spanish art. Tickets are £5-£6.50.
www.nts.org.uk/Property/Pollok-House
5 Literary Dundee
Bonar Hall, Dundee, Today to Sunday
Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne, Olympic gold-winning rower Katherine Grainger, crime writers William McIlvanney and Denise Mina, and award-winning novelists Jenni Fagan and Sarah Hall are among the guests at Dundee's autumn book festival. Centred on the University of Dundee's Bonar Hall, there are 40 events covering poetry, crime, sport, business, comics, fiction and non-fiction. There are also creative writing workshops, events for children, and the announcement of the winner of the Dundee International Book Prize, worth £10,000 and a book deal.
www.dundee.ac.uk/literarydundee
6 Scottish Cycling National Track Championships
Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow, Sunday
An early chance to catch some of the stars of next year's Commonwealth Games in the venue hosting Glasgow 2014's track cycling. Following three days of mainly sprint and time trial events earlier this month, the fourth and final day of the Scottish Track Cycling Championships will feature endurance riders competing in Kilo, 2K Pursuit, 3K Pursuit and 4K Pursuit events. Day tickets are £10 (£3 concession), which can be purchased from Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, or by calling 0141 353 8000.
www.britishcycling.org.uk/scotland
7 Scone Palace Spooky Hallowe'en Weekend
Scone Palace, Perth, Saturday and Sunday
Hallowe'en isn't until next Thursday, but there are plenty of spooky goings-on this weekend to keep fright fans going. Scone Palace is one of many historical attractions getting in on the action early with two days of family-friendly activities. As well as shows from Alba Puppet Crew, there's a spooky bat trail, apple dooking, creepy pottery sessions, and a Hallowe'en treasure hunt. Author Geoff Holder also gives illustrated talks on 18th-century bodysnatching. A standard £4.20-£6 ticket gives access to most of the programme, although extra charges apply for some activities.
8 Scary Style Weekend
Edinburgh Dungeon, Friday and Saturday
The capital's historical horror attraction is also running a series of events to celebrate Hallowe'en this weekend, with a £6-off discount offered to anyone turning up in a spooky costume, and late-night opening on Friday and Saturday. Along with all of the usual spine-tingling stuff, there's a new show called Dinner for the Dead exploring the origins of Hallowe'en with ethereal tales from ancient times, mystic predictions and terrifying visits from spirits.
9 Fright Night
Linlithgow Palace, Friday and Saturday
Elsewhere, the magnificently sited renaissance-era ruin of Linlithgow Palace provides the perfect backdrop for this atmospheric after-dark tour. Brought to life by costumed performers, the event showcases some of the palace's less wholesome former occupants, alongside some of the most gruesome happenings in Scotland's past - from the outbreak of the plague to witch trials. Not recommended for young children, tours run at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday this week and next, with tickets available for £10.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/events.htm
10 Hallowe'en Drive-In Movies
M&Ds, Motherwell, Friday to Sunday
This week's hair-raising round-up concludes with this authentic US-style drive-in experience at Motherwell's M&Ds. A weekend of Hallowe'en-themed screenings kicks off at 8pm tomorrow night with supernatural thriller Mama. Teen-friendly franchise-closer Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 is in the corresponding slot on Saturday, while U-rated Adam Sandler animation Hotel Transylvania offers a family option on Sunday from 6pm. Midnight screenings pitched at older fans include Insidious (Friday) and Sinister (Saturday), with Josh Whedon's acclaimed genre mash-up The Cabin In The Woods at 10pm on Sunday. Single car tickets are priced from £24.
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