1st to 5th October 2008, Wigtown Book Festival, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway. The Scottish Book Town Festival is a celebration of the written word in Wigtown, our National Book Town, and spans over ten days. The town has a population of only 900 people, a malt whisky distillery and a quarter of a million books. The Wigtown Festival prompts a mass migration of bibliophiles to this green, pastoral corner of Scotland. And rest assured that, between events, there will be plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere in Scotland’s widest street or browse around our cavernous bookshops. Full details are at www.wigtownbookfestival.com .

Throughout the year Lauriston Castle in Edinburgh, provides an abundance of interesting events to suit the whole family from experiencing what it was like to be a servant in the castle in days gone by to art classes and discovering the exotic blooms which can be found in the gardens there is something for everyone. Full details can be found on their website www.cac.org.uk

1st to 28th October 2008, Gaelforce, Dumfries & Galloway. A multiple arts festival offering something for everyone. With country, Celtic, traditional and world-music events, which also includes book festivals, poetry, theatre performances, exhibitions and street processions. Please visit www.gaelforceevents.co.uk for their full programme.

11th to 18th October 2008, The Tiree Wave Classic, Tiree. This is a legendary event on the UK's calendar returning to the stunning island of Tiree, often described as 'The Hawaii of the North' or 'The Land Below the Waves', promising a week of extreme adrenaline fuelled action. The world's best sailors come together to brave the full Atlantic weather of wind and waves off the beautiful beaches of Tiree. The Tiree Wave Classic Event Village offers a whole host of adventure sports activities for visitors. Full Programme details can be found at www.tireewaveclassic.com

16th to 19th October 2008, Aberfoyle Mushroom Festival, Aberfoyle. In its seventh year, this food, music and cultural festival is based on the humble Mushroom, wild varieties of which can be found in the Queen Elisabeth Forest adjacent to Aberfoyle. Come and enjoy concerts, cookery demonstrations, fishing and golf competitions, ceilidhs, and a special programme for children. The 'International Flavour' theme is Iceland and there will be a Viking camp for children. Please visit www.visitaberfoyle.com for all details of this event.

17th October to 2nd November 2008, The Enchanted Forest, Faskally Wood, Pitlochry. Scotland's top sound and light show returns to Faskally Wood near Pitlochry with 'Creation'. The spectacular sound and lighting effects will be used to illustrate the earth's history from its early volcanic state to the Ice Age and the Jurassic era right through to modern times. www.enchantedforest.org.uk list all the details of this festival.

21st October to 17th November 2008, sound 2008, Aberdeen City and Shire. 'sound' is an exciting music festival, unique to the north east of Scotland, arranged by local organisations with the aim of presenting an eclectic but very broad range of contemporary music, to a large and varied public. For details of full programme visit www.sound-scotland.co.uk

24th to 26th October 2008, Lockerbie Jazz Festival, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway. The Lockerbie Jazz Festival is a showcase of music that mixes top international artists, great Scottish bands and the best local musicians from Dumfries & Galloway. Whether you enjoy relaxing or tapping your feet to the Dixie beat, the Festival has a style to suit every taste. www.lockerbiejazz.com has details of the full programme

31st October 2008, Celtic Samhain Festival, Kenmore, Perthshire. Come dressed in costume and eperience this ancient Celtic Halloween festival. Bring a lantern to keep evil at bay and join the torchlit procession through the lochside woods. Watch a wicker ram burn in ceremonial sacrifice, and enjoy the lantern competition, storytelling and music, apple ducking, hot soup, and fire shows. www.crannog.co.uk list all the details.

Throughout the year to 16 Nov 2008, The Local Word and Image 500 Years of Printing in Scotland, Aberdeen. 2008 brings with it celebrations of 500 years of printing in Scotland. As part of these wider celebrations this exhibition will examine the history of printing in Aberdeen. Full details of venues are found at www.aberdeencity.gov.uk