20 October
Join the Abriachan Forest Trust and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh for a Solar Saturday. The Things are looking up - practically astronomical... event at Abriachan offers an exciting day of activities including Starlab shows, looking at rocks from space, meeting rocket men from NASA, doing a 4,000 year old diary check using the Celtic Calendar and sampling some planetary pizza! Later in the day things look up with stargazing workshops admiring our clear, dark star studded skies while enjoying a starbecue. See www.darkskyscotland.org.uk for other events in the Dark Sky Scotland programme.

2 November – 8 December
As the nights draw in, it’s time to gear up for the ‘Sea Cromarty Sparkle’ winter festival, a month of exciting events in the town of Cromarty to celebrate lighting up the dark nights. Lots to do and see including Ghosties and Ghoulies tour; Bonfire Night with fireworks, fire sculptures, torchlight parade, community drama, projections, photography, astronomy weekend, St Andrew’s Night Debate, Cromarty Film Festival and St Nic’s Family Ceilidh - fun for all ages with something to appeal to everyone. For more information visit www.seacromartysparkle.co.uk

3 November
Eden Court Theatre and Cinema reopens with a series of world class entertainers.  Highlights to look forward to include traditional music legends Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, Blazin’ Fiddles and the Scottish Symphony Orchestra.  Comic superstars Lenny Henry and Ardal O’Hanlon provide the laughs while Scottish Opera and the world premiere of The Sundowe, a wickedly funny musical, ensure the opening season has something for everyone. And a winter season at Eden Court would not be complete without the traditional family pantomime - this year it’s Peter Pan who will entertain audiences of all ages. See www.eden-court.co.uk for the full programme and details of the fantastic new facilities.

3 - 17 November
The first Highland Science Festival takes place in November at venues across the Highlands. Events feature astronomy and space exploration as well as new crops and fuels for the future. Journey Through Space looks at how a slab of rock from the north of Scotland and a Russian spacecraft provide clues to inform the debate about the origins of life on earth. Join an afternoon cruise on Loch Ness, when we’ll ask if there really are monsters in the depths! See www.highlandsciencefestival.com for the full programme.