Blame it on social media, blame it on our obsession with American culture, but Halloween seems to get bigger every year. Here are some of our favourite events to celebrate the traditional Scottish festival – whether you are a proper guiser or a trick or treat wannabe.
1. Paisley Halloween Festival
Various locations
On today, parade begins at 6.30pm
Entry is free but the silent disco, carnival and pumpkin workshops require payment
Paisley’s Halloween festival is one of the biggest in the UK. It has been awarded nearly £17,000 of funding from Event Scotland, which has helped to pay for a huge carnival parade – complete with dancers, fire breathers and floats – as well as a performance from fearless aerial acrobats. There is also a silent disco, pumpkin carving and street theatre: it is not one to be missed.
www.paisley.is
2. CarnEvil, Aberdeen
Codona’s Amusement Park, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen
01224 595910
On until November 2, open 6pm-10pm (9pm on Sunday)
£14.99 per person (Over 12s only)
A carnival can be unnerving at the best of times, but especially when it’s filled with people jumping out at you. That’s exactly what is on offer at the CarnEvil in Aberdeen, where visitors walk through Codona’s amusement park under the cover of darkness, trying (and probably failing) to pre-empt the creepy performers waiting to give them a fright. The entry fee also offers free unlimited rides, dodgems and zombie-themed laser tag.
www.codonas.com
3. Spirit of Scone Halloween, Perth
Scone Palace, Scone, Perth
On until 31 October, starts at 6pm, last entry is 8pm, or 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Adult £15, child £8
01738 552300
By day, Scone Palace is historic and stately, but by night it transforms into a land of ghouls and ghosts. Those attending the Spirit of Scone event can embark on an hour-long tour of the grounds (with scary surprises along the way), spooky stories in a tepee tent and monstrous face paint for the kids. On a less threatening note, you can also enjoy some campfire-toasted marshmallows.
www.scone-palace.co.uk
4. Immersive Cinema Nights, Glasgow
Govan Shed, 23 Clydebrae Street, Glasgow
On today, various screenings
£12 per person
Lots of us watch horror films around Halloween. But at this special viewing in an abandoned warehouse, you can expect to come face to face with some of cinema’s scariest villains at the same time as you watch them on screen. There is also a horror maze to navigate when you first enter – but if all that sounds a bit stressful then you can head straight to the fully stocked bar.
www.horrornights.co.uk
5. Samhuinn Fire Festival, Edinburgh
Calton Hill, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh
On Thursday 31 October, 7pm-12am
Adult £8.80, child £4.40
Marking the overthrowing of summer by winter, the Samhuinn Fire Festival sets immersive theatre, music and acrobatics against a cracking backdrop of the summit of Calton Hill. Visitors can watch the fiery battle between the Winter King and the Summer King – and their respective armies – by walking around the action and cheering their favourite side to victory.
www.beltane.org/samhuinn-fire-festival-2019
6. The Witching Hour Exhibition, Stirling
Tolbooth Jail Wynd, Stirling
On until 2 November, 10am-6pm
Free entry, 01786 274000
Witches are synonymous with modern-day Halloween, as kids paint their faces green and stick on a pointy hat for a bit of fun. But in the 15th and 16th century, when witch trials spread like wildfire across the western world – they were particularly widespread in Scotland – and sorcery was no laughing matter. Most of us will have heard of the infamous Salem witch trials, but this fascinating exhibition shines a light on witch hunts that went on a lot closer to home. Nearly 4,000 people were accused of witchcraft in Scotland over a 200-year span, and the Tolbooth is displaying digitised records of these real-life Scottish ‘witches’, alongside descriptions from an expert archivist. Images and artwork will also be on display.
7. Quarantine at Kelburn Castle
Kelburn Country Centre, Fairlie, Ayrshire
On until November 3, performances from 6.15pm until 10.30pm
£13.85 per person (recommended for over 16s)
01475 568685
Plenty of us enjoy watching apocalypse programmes like the Walking Dead. But how would you feel about
actually living through it? Well, now you can find out, as the grounds of Kelburn Castle are transformed into a haunted forest full of angry zombies. Visitors who take part in the 30-minute Quarantine experience will have to navigate their way through the blood and body parts that line the forest – and the screaming undead – to make it to the other side and find the ‘cure for humanity’. No pressure, then.
www.kelburnestate.com/quarantine
8. Holm of Halloween at Holmwood House, Glasgow
Holmwood House, 61-63 Netherlee Road, Muirend. On today and tomorrow, 12pm-4pm, £5 per person (discount for National Trust members)
01415 710184
Visitors to Holmwood can enjoy a proper ‘haunted house’ experience, making their way from room to room and enjoying decorations and scary surprises along the way. For younger children, or those who don’t like a scare, there is apple dooking in the garden and a Halloween-themed craft corner with lots of activities on offer.
9. Edinburgh Horror Festival
Various locations. On until November 3. Prices vary
Not dissimilar to the summertime Fringe, this festival offers a range of events across the capital. Yet although the programme spans theatre, comedy, spoken word and interactive events, each show has one thing in common: horror. Highlights include a paranormal illusionist and a live séance.
www.edhorrorfest.co.uk
10. Hallowild at Blair Drummond, Stirling
Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, Blair Drummond, Stirling
On until 27 October, 10am-5.30pm
Included in normal entry price (Adult, £17.75, children and seniors £14.65)
01786 841456
This kid-friendly Halloween exhibition doesn’t stray too far into the frightening. The main attraction is the ‘tomb’, an indoor haunted walk-through with 3D special effects, but there is also slime-making, a trick or treat trail and magic shows to enjoy. You can also visit the pumpkin patch for an extra £3 .
www.blairdrummond.com
11. Raising The Dead
Blair Street Underground Vaults, Edinburgh. October 31, November 1 and 2, 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Adult £18, concession £16, 0131 225 5445
A shadowy figure amid the gloom, an unexplained draught in a deserted passageway, an icy breath on the back of the neck … are you brave enough to find out? Part of the Mercat Tours Halloween pro-gramme, this guided foray into Blair Street Underground Vaults is billed as “Edinburgh’s most haunted site at the most haunted time of year”.
mercattours.com
12. Halloween Pumpkin Trail, Dumfries and Galloway
Castle Kennedy Gardens, Stair Estates, Sheuchan, Castle Kennedy, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway
On until November 3, open from 10am-4pm
£2.50 on top of normal entry price (Adult £5.50, concession £4.50, child £2)
01776 702024
With crunchy leaves underfoot and a crisp chill in the air, autumn is one of the best times of the year to go out for a walk. The scenic Castle Kennedy Gardens are always good for a wander, but especially so when there are hidden pumpkins to be found along your way. If you spot them all, you’ll be given a treat at the end.
www.castlekennedygardens.com
13. Galoshans Parade, Greenock
Parade starts at the Ginger the Horse sculpture in Greenock at 6pm, ends at 8pm, Sunday 27 October, Free
Forget American notions of ‘trick or treating’. In Greenock, Halloween has always been referred to as ‘Galoshans’, and it is a tradition they are determined to keep going. The town is hosting its own Galoshans parade, featuring a street band made up of local school pupils and an ‘audio visual spectacle’ in Cathcart Square to celebrate Greenock’s most famous son, engineer James Watt.
www.galoshansfestival.com
14. Durness Highland Halloween Festival, Highlands
Various locations in Durness, Sutherland
On until November 1, Prices vary depending on event, 01971 511 288
This remote corner of Scotland has become famous in recent years thanks to the North Coast 500. But aside from its beautiful beaches and rugged scenery, Durness also hosts an extensive Halloween festival: with events that include a Spooky Bake Off, a Halloween Dance and a Haunted House.
www.halloweenfestival.net
15. Countesswells Autumn Fair, Aberdeenshire
Cults Burn Park, Countesswells, Aberdeen. On today until 4pm, Free entry
01224 252 812
This traditional, community fair is designed to bring the residents of ‘new town’ Countesswells together with those from surrounding villages. You can follow a pumpkin trail, try your hand at dooking for apples and join in with the blindfold sticky bun-eating. There will also be a fancy-dress competition, and sculptures being created on the spot by a local artist.
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