One Big Weekend

Glasgow and Edinburgh, Sat-Sun

Worth a shout for anyone fired up by coverage of last weekend’s Great Scottish Run, One Big Weekend gives runners of all abilities a chance to take part in a timed 5K race alongside hundreds of running club members. Set up by national running initiative jogscotland to encourage more people to adopt an active lifestyle, non-members are equally welcome to the events in Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park on Saturday and Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park on Sunday. Online entries close at 5pm today - register for £19.99-£21.99.

www.jogscotlandonebigweekend.com

World Porridge Championships

Carrbridge, Sat

The Highland village of Carrbrige has been hosting this annual celebration of Scotland’s other national dish for the last two decades. The quirky contest features cooks from around the world competing for the coveted Golden Spurtle trophy, awarded to the best porridge made using only the traditional ingredients of oatmeal, water and salt. There’s also a specialty prize for dishes made with added ingredients. Starting at 10am, visitors are also welcome to stick around for a day of family activities and attractions including local food stalls and an evening ceilidh.

www.goldenspurtle.com

Edinburgh Restaurant Festival

Across Edinburgh, from Thu

Ten days of culinary events celebrating local restaurants, launching today with The Chef’s Table, a fine dining evening devised by top chefs Mark Greenaway, Paul Greenwood and Craig Hart (tickets £25). Other highlights include Saturday’s Grassmarket Fun Foodie Fair, and Eat Walk Edinburgh - an exclusive walking tour of the city’s finest landmarks and five first-rate eateries. Further ahead is the first Edinburgh Street Feastival in St Andrew Square from October 16-18, which will showcase a selection of pop-up stalls and street food dishes.

www.thisisedinburgh.com

Dragon Quest

Monikie Country Park, Angus, from Thu

Described as an augmented reality theatre adventure, this new outdoor show turns Monikie Country Park near Dundee into an after-dark wonderland of interactive storytelling, arty installations and atmospheric light and sound. Designed with Edinburgh theatre company Vision Mechanics and animation graduates from Duncan of Jordanstone College, the attraction has another ace up its sleeve in the form of an accompanying smartphone app, activated en-route to reveal a hidden magical menagerie of dragons, trolls, fairies and goblins. On daily until November (not Mondays), tickets are £12-£15 (£6.50-£10 children).

www.dragonquest.org.uk

Big Music For Minis

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Fri-Sun

A great chance for babies, toddlers and children up to seven years old to discover and unleash their musical creativity over a weekend of performances, workshops and family activities. Visitors can try out instruments, take part in messy play activities, relax in a baby chillout zone and listen to the RSNO, SCO and National Youth Choir of Scotland playing and singing live. Most of the sessions are free, with tickets for two special concerts and performances of Scottish Opera’s KidO costing between £5 and £7.

www.glasgowconcerthalls.com

Wild Autumn Festival

Dumfries and Galloway, from Fri

Get out, enjoy the fresh air, and get closer to nature with 18 days of walks, talks and activities in south-west Scotland. Arriving just in time for the mid-term October break, there are a wealth of options to explore, from family-friendly ranger-led hikes and mini-beast hunts to muddy craft sessions and nocturnal wildlife tours. Animal lovers will also be able to witness the arrival of thousands of wintering barnacle geese around the Solway Firth, and hear the roar of rutting stags in Galloway Forest.

www.wildseasons.co.uk

Glasgow European Judo Open

Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Sat

With vital Rio 2016 Olympics qualifying points up for grabs, Britain’s male judo stars will have to be at their best for this day of competition featuring over 150 athletes from nearly 40 countries. Among established and up-and-coming UK judoka taking part across a range of weight categories are Commonwealth Games champions Ashley McKenzie, Danny Williams and Owen Livesey - as well as the likes of Italian Antonio Ciano, Hungary’s Laszlo Csoknyai, and Ecuadorian Lenin Preciado. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2.50 for children.

www.britishjudo.org.uk/glasgow2015

Arthur Melville: Adventures In Colour

National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, from Sat

A lesser-known contemporary of Glasgow Boys James Guthrie, E.A. Walton and Joseph Crawhall, Victorian watercolourist Arthur Melville’s vivdly dramatic, sun-soaked paintings are perfect for a rainy autumn day. The first major showing of his work in 35 years, this career retrospective presents 70 works from private and public collections across the UK, including numerous examples inspired by his travels in the Middle East, North Africa and Spain. Tickets are £7-£9, with a series of tours, talks and children’s events scheduled in coming weeks.

www.nationalgalleries.org

Beatson’s Mull Rally

Isle of Mull, Friday to Sunday

Fast and furious racing action hits the Inner Hebrides for a 46th year, as 150 different rally racing crews from across the UK arrive for three days, 18 stages and 160 miles of high octane competition. Taking place on closed public roads and rugged single lane tracks around the island, the checkered flag goes up on the race’s first leg in Tobermory on Friday night at 7pm. Meanwhile, the event’s traditional annual Tunnock’s Tea Cake Eating Contest is held at MacGochan’s in Tobermory harbour tonight. www.mullrally.org

Castle For The Covenant!

Edinburgh Castle, Sat-Sun

Come face-to-face with soldiers, get an insight into 17th century warfare and discover more about one of the longest sieges in the history of Edinburgh Castle, now Scotland’s most popular visitor attraction. Taking place from noon to 4pm on both days, historical costumed performers will re-enact some of the key moments of a three-month siege in 1640, which ended with Covenanters capturing the stronghold after its royal garrison ran out of supplies and started to get ill. Admission is £9.90-£16.50.

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk