As the days are turning colder (only the other day my phone told me that the temperature ‘feels like 3 degrees Celcius’!), we might start looking for more indoor activities. Saying, that, I’m sure there are still ways we can enjoy the cold October days!

ART

One of the top exhibitions for everyone’s diaries will have to be an exhibition of Fiona MacKenzie’s ‘Feathered Souls’. The exhibition is in Dingwall at the Alchemist Gallery running from the 10th of October all the way till January 2025. Fiona is known for her stunning landscapes and beautiful engravings as well as paintings of Scottish wildlife. This exhibition will focus predominantly on birds. Definitely worth visiting!

An absolutely fascinating exhibition which is a collab between  Scottish Furniture Makers Association, Scottish Forestry, and Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers: ASH RISE. To quote from the website as it speaks for itself: ‘celebrating the ash tree and highlighting the effects of ash dieback through the work of 20 outstanding contemporary makers, designers, and artists from across Scotland.’ It sounds really intriguing! What’s even better, there is free admission and it runs up till January 2025.

At Dawyck, you can find Carol Taylor & Maggie Lord exhibition, only on the 6th of October. Blending various styles and mediums, this is an opportunity to discover their art.

You can still catch Lavery on Location exhibition at Royal Scottish Academy. Full price tickets going for £19 but if you’re a student, you only pay £10. Belfast born artist, Sir John Lavery was heavily associated with the Scottish art scene in the late 19th century. He worked with William Burrell (yes, the same Burrell as the Burrell Collection in Glasgow!) and even painted his sister. Lavery is known for his portraits as well as the wartime art. He was well-travelled – and this exhibition depicts his journeys, as you can take in the glory of his paintings depicting Morocco, New York, and Spain as well as others.

An extremely beautiful exhibition ‘No More Sheep: Margot Sandeman on Arran’ in the Fragile Art gallery created by an Arran-based painter, focusing on escaping the stresses of the city into the warm embrace of the Scottish Isles (as someone who instantly feels at peace whenever I find myself on the train up north, I can relate!) It is also a free exhibition and you can find it in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.

A very notable, but exciting display at Modern Two in Edinburgh is a display of Paolozzi Studio. Free admissions (you must book beforehand though!). Paolozzi was a Scottish artist, a pioneer of pop art. He donated the content of his studio from Chelsea to the Scottish museums and we now have an opportunity to view it and see how an artists’ brain works (without having to dissect them, I suppose).

Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990 is still ongoing, only ending in January – you have plenty of time to view it. Tickets go for £14 at full price. The exhibition is happening at Modern Two in Edinburgh. The exhibition is actually touring from Tate London, so if Scottish gloom suits you better than the noisy glamour of London, it might be worth catching the exhibition before it returns to England. The exhibition is very much centered around provocative pieces from women in the post-60s era, and very much focused on feminist art. For anyone who enjoyed reading Joan Didion, I think this would be a fun one.

Exhibition of The Three Lives of Puck’s Hut at Benmore Botanic Garden ending on the 31st of October.

The exciting exhibition Fungi Forms at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh is still going on – a perfect opportunity to enjoy everything mushroom. Ends in December, free admission, exciting mushroom things all round.

ACTIVITIES

If you’re looking to find something to cut through the mundane of a regular week in Edinburgh, I could not recommend more HauntedBurgh ghost tours. A company recently started by Ross Hepburn, he takes you on a journey to the darkest and goriest secrets of Edinburgh’s underbelly. For only £15 per head, you can be both scared and entertained – what else would you want for a gloomy October evening!

If you want to find some scaries before Halloween, you can go on a ghost hunt at Bannockburn House. Taking place on the 18th of October for £55, you can enjoy: drinks and snacks, use of ghost hunting gadgets and mediumship tools, and you can try a chance to hunt ghosts. Absolutely terrifying stuff, but if this is something you like – perfect for Haloween!

If you like photography – you can catch the Scottish Nature Photography Awards 2023 at Logan Botanic Garden. Runs until 15th of November, focusing on Scottish wildlife and landscapes.

A very interesting event happening in Edinburgh – On Mysticism with Simon Critchley. Can be found at Pilrig St. Paul’s Church, 1B Pilrig St, Edinburgh EH6 5AH. Only £16.99 with the book included!

For fans of Ali Smith – there’s the book launch event at Toppings & Company in St Andrews on the 31 Oct 2024 7:30pm. Tickets are £6.

FESTIVALS

We are back for another round of Aye Write, a writing festival. This year, you can catch Ian Rankin and Peter May. Running until 15th of October.

OUTSIDE OF SCOTLAND

Alexander Adams: Od ruin do odkupienia/From Ruin to Redemption, Warsaw Archdiocese Museum, Warsaw (19 Sept.-2 Feb. 2025) features paintings from 2024 on the Passion of Christ, alongside a selection of ink illustrations from the books Iconoclasm and Culture War, exhibited for the first time. This is the first museum solo exhibition of his art in over a decade. Might be quite out of the way for most of you – but if you happen to be in Warsaw anytime between now and February, add this one to your calendar!

Do you know of any events in Scotland (or outside of Scotland if they’re exceptional) worth adding to the list? Would you like to advertise your own event on our website? Contact us and we’ll include it!