IF you love spending time outdoors and are looking for a fresh challenge to enjoy through the spring and summer months, we can offer plenty of inspiration.

From walking festivals and fun runs to urban orienteering and even an obstacle course, here are some of the best events to sign up for around Scotland.

Moray Walking and Outdoor Festival

Created with the aim of showcasing The Moray Way, a 100-mile circular trail that launched in 2009, this walking and outdoor festival has grown from small beginnings into an 11-day extravaganza.

The packed programme, running from June 16 to 26, showcases an area that reaches from the foothills of the Cairngorms to a majestic stretch of award-winning coastline.

Learn about archaeology, try your hand at foraging, enjoy a bee walk, explore coffin roads or go on a summer solstice sunset stroll – all against a spectacular backdrop of Moray’s natural, historical and cultural landscape.

Visit moraywalkoutdoorfest.co.uk

Etape Caledonia, Perthshire

The Etape Caledonia has become a popular staple in the cycling sportive calendar and the closed-road event returns on May 14 with a new distance.

Alongside the existing 85-mile and 40-mile routes through picturesque Perthshire, there is also the option of tackling a 55-mile circuit which contains “meaty climbs” and is ideal for both “experienced cyclists and those looking to push their limits”.

Highlights include the steep ascent at Trinafour and the mighty Schiehallion, as well as a clutch of pretty hamlets and villages, such as Kinloch Rannoch, Weem and Grandtully.

The 55-mile ride covers part of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships Gran Fondo course, being held in August, making it perfect for anyone who wants to test their legs.

Visit etapecaledonia.co.uk

Edinburgh Marathon Festival

What better way to enjoy the sights and landmarks of the Scottish capital – Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Royal Mile, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle, Scott Monument, Arthur’s Seat – than with a meandering course through the heart of the city?

The marathon route, which leaves from Potterrow at Edinburgh University and finishes in Musselburgh, also offers scenic views along the East Lothian coastline.

Although this brilliant two-day event on May 27 and 28 centres around the marathon (26.2 miles), there is a raft of distances available to suit runners of all abilities, including 5K (3.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles) and a half marathon (13.1 miles).

There is the option of signing up for the EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay where groups of four can split the traditional 26.2-mile distance between them. For youngsters there is the Kids Kilometre, as well as 1.5K (0.9 miles), 2K (1.2 miles) and 5K junior runs.

Visit edinburghmarathon.com

Tough Mudder Scotland, Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway

If the photographs of the mud-covered, soaked and grinning participants on the website are anything to go by, Tough Mudder Scotland on June 3 and 4 is challenging and exhilarating in equal measure.

The obstacles have quirky/terror-inducing names such as “Arctic Enema”, “Mudderhorn”, “Cage Crawl”, “Cry Baby”, “Everest”, “Funky Monkey”, “Shawshanked”, “Ladder To Hell”, “Skidmarked” and “Lumberjacked”. There are 20 in total along the 10K (6.2 miles) route or 30 if you plump to tackle 15K (9.3 miles).

We are talking ice pits, greased pipes, swampy terrain, shaky rope ladders and towering walls. Are you game enough to give it a go?

Visit toughmudder.co.uk

Loch Ness 24, Inverness-shire

If camping out under the stars and traversing trails through ancient Scots pine forest and along pebbled beaches sounds like your vibe, then the Loch Ness 24, taking place on August 26 and 27, should fit the bill.

Designed as a 24-hour endurance challenge, the goal is to clock up as many 7km (4.3 mile) laps as you can while enjoying the spectacular scenery and lively event village atmosphere. Take part as a solo participant or with a team of up to eight people.

Visit lochness24.co.uk

Inverleith Sundowner 5K Series and Sunset Running Festival 2023, both Edinburgh

With three evening 5K runs around Inverleith Park in Edinburgh on May 17, June 28 and August 30, the Sundowner Series is an excellent way to make the most of the lighter and brighter nights. The event will cover a mix of inner trail and tarmac paths.

Another date for your diary is the Sunset Running Festival 2023 at Gypsy Brae Recreation Ground in Edinburgh on June 24. Choose from 7km (4.3 miles), half marathon, solo marathon or relay marathon for teams of two to six people. There is also a one-mile kids’ fun run.

Visit blastrunning.co.uk

Ballater Walking Festival, Aberdeenshire

Now in its 25th year, the Ballater Walking Festival is a celebration of the myriad trails, paths and routes that can be enjoyed within the Cairngorms National Park.

Taking place from June 3 to 9, among the guided walks – ranging from easy to “strong” (strenuous) in terms of the required fitness – are Ballater to Glen Tanar and several Munros, including the dome-shaped Glas Tulaichean and Scotland’s second highest peak Ben Macdui.

Themed areas of interest include regeneration, archaeology and music. There is a programme of evening entertainment with a festival dinner, a talk titled Cairngorms 2030: What’s On The Horizon and a ceilidh.

Visit walkballater.com

Scurry Events, various

If you love adventures, the Scurry Events calendar is well worth checking out. Among the highlights for 2023 is Scurry To The Sea, a 12-mile cross country-meets-urban orienteering epic on July 23, which begins in the Pentlands and ends on the beach at Musselburgh.

Other exciting options include Scurry Around Cramond Island, a mixed terrain five-mile run along the Firth of Forth on May 19 and the inaugural Scurry Swims Lochore in Fife being held on June 10, with open water swimming distances ranging from 250m to 3,800m.

Later in the summer, Scurry Around Devilla Forest Trail Running Festival in Clackmannanshire will be held on August 6 with a half marathon, 10K, 5K and a 1.5K family run. There is also the Scurry Yellowcraig Swim/Run Festival at North Berwick in East Lothian on August 26.

Visit scurryevents.co.uk

Babcock 10K Series, various

This 10K series – which began in the mid-1980s – holds a special place in the hearts of many within the Scottish running community. Formerly known as the Polaroid Eyewear Series, current sponsors Babcock stepped up in 2017 to help continue its existence.

Part of the enduring charm stems from the fact that world-class athletes and Olympians – such as past winners Derek Hawkins, Sonia Samuels and Weynay Ghebresilasie – take the start line alongside club and recreational runners.

The 2023 dates for the three-race series are Helensburgh on May 4, Shettleston in Glasgow on May 14 and Dumbarton on May 25.

Visit babcock10kseries.co.uk

WalkFest 2023, Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway

This popular walking festival being held from May 12 to 18, shines a spotlight on some fantastic routes around southwest Scotland, such as the North Rhins Coastal Path, Whithorn Way, Glenkens Forest Trails and the Southern Upland Way.

The guided walks are geared to suit different fitness levels and abilities, ranging from easy to very strenuous. Evening talks and slide shows include Discovering the Biosphere’s Natural Gems and The Story of the Galloway Hydro Scheme.

Visit walkfestnewtonstewart.com