January

The Loony Dook
When: 1st January 2008 Where:South Queensferry
To celebrate the first day of every new year, a growing number of hardy souls leap into the freezing waters of the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry - fancy dress welcome, wetsuits not allowed and all monies collected go to local charities. You don't have to be loony to join in but it helps...

The Ba'
When: 1st January 2008 Where: Kirkwall, Orkney
Traditional street rugby, played by the Uppies and Doonies with a much prized locally made leather Ba' (ball). The Ba' is thrown up outside St. Magnus Cathedral and the game ranges through the town. It's also played on Christmas Day.

Dine Around Edinburgh
When: 7th January - 29th February 2008 Where: Edinburgh
Dine Around Edinburgh offers you the chance to eat at many of the capital's top restaurants at special bargain fixed prices. Traditional Scottish restaurants feature prominently, serving dishes made with only the finest seasonal Scottish produce.

The Burning of the Clavie
When: 11th January 2008 Where: Burghead, Moray
The ancient custom of Burning the Clavie is celebrated in Burghead on 11th January - the first day of the year by the Julian Calendar. Locals carry the burning Clavie (a bonfire of casks) through the town, followed by a procession.

Highland Lights
When: 12th January 2008 Where: Inverness
On An t-Seann Bliadhn' Ùr (The Old New Year), a torchlight procession and fireworks display marks the close of Highland 2007 in the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

Celtic Connections
When: 16th January - 3rd February 2008 Where: Glasgow
The biggest winter music festival in the world, Celtic Connections features artists from around the globe alongside the very best Scottish talent at venues across the city. From concerts, ceilidhs and club-nights to drums, drams and dancing, January evenings will never be dreich again!

Glynhill Ladies International Curling
When: 17th - 20th January 2008 Where: Braehead Curling Rink, Glasgow
The Glynhill Ladies International curling competition will feature World and Olympic teams worldwide to compete for a prize fund of £8000. Come along to Braehead and support Scotland's current World Junior Champions and World Ladies Bronze Medallists who will be participating in this new event!

Aviemore Sled Dog Rally
When: 19th & 20th January 2008 Where: Glenmore Forest Park, Aviemore
Every year, mushers from throughout the UK gather in the forests around Aviemore for one of the most challenging and prestigious of the British Siberian Husky Club's series of rallies - always hoping for plenty of the white stuff to make it a real arctic experience. And, even if there's no snow at ground level for the event, the races will still go on with mushers using a three-wheeled rig that looks like a bike without a seat.

Up Helly Aa
When: 29th January 2008 Where: Lerwick, Shetland
Britain's biggest and most spectacular fire festival features a torch-lit parade of almost 1000 people, dressed either as Vikings or in all manner of crazy fancy-dress costumes, the spectacular burning of a Viking galley, ceilidhs and all-night partying.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay
When: 29th December 2007 - 1st January 2008 Where: Edinburgh
Four fabulous days and nights of amazing events kick off the world's greatest New Year party. With the traditional torchlit procession, street performers, fireworks, concerts, ceilidh, the big Hogmanay party itself and a New Year's Day run to blow the cobwebs away - Edinburgh's buzzing. Come along and experience the magic for yourself.

Loch Ness Hogmanay Festival
When: 28th December 2007 - 2nd January 2008 Where: Drumnadrochit
Thousands of people enjoy a fun-packed 6-day festival which includes daily guided walks, shinty and football matches, a tea dances, a duck race, and cookery demonstrations to name but a few. The highlight of the festival is the open-air ceilidh on Hogmanay, starting with a torchlight procession behind massed pipe bands.

The Land, The Light and The Locals
When: 29th December 2007 - 2nd January 2008 Where: Various venues, the Borders
The Scottish Borders' New Year festival features over 100 musicians and performers from across the region in sessions, concerts and ceilidhs, as well as the numerous informal afternoon music sessions and other daytime events.

Edinburgh's Christmas
When: 22nd November 2007 - 6th January 2008 Where: Edinburgh
One of Europe's finest Christmas festivals returns with a month-long programme bringing warmth and festive cheer to Edinburgh as the city transforms itself into a magical winter wonderland. Activity is centred around the world-renowned Princes Street Gardens. With a glittering choice of festive celebrations, chic shopping and fine dining set against the shimmering backdrop of this historic city - at Christmas, Edinburgh sparkles. Plans for this year's festivities are well underway. Expect the return of Edinburgh's Christmas favourites such as The Light Night, the Traditional German Christmas Market, Santa's Reindeer Garden, The Edinburgh Wheel, The Great Scottish Santa Run and Winter Wonderland, plus lots of surprises that make Edinburgh's Christmas the ultimate festive experience.

Glasgow On Ice
When: 24th November 2007 - 6th January 2008 Where: Glasgow
With George Square's famous Christmas illuminations as a sparkling backdrop, you'll be able to show off your ice-dancing moves on one of the largest outdoor ice rinks in Europe, all set to non-stop music.

Winterfest Glasgow
When: 18th November 2007 - 6th January 2008 Where: Glasgow
Winterfest Glasgow lights up the city with a dazzling array of events and activities, from the Christmas lights switch-on to the big Hogmanay party. George Square is the focus of the festive celebrations as it is transformed into a winter wonderland, including an outdoor ice rink, Glasgow on Ice, and good 'ol Santa's Grotto.

Irn Bru Carnival
When: 21st December 2007 - 13th January 2008 Where: Glasgow
Europe's largest indoor funfair returns to the SECC, Glasgow for the Christmas holidays. It's a feast of fun for all the family, with classic fairground stalls, rollercoasters and such for thrill-seekers and gentler rides for the kiddies.

Joan Eardley
When: 6th November 2007 - 13th January 2008 Where: Edinburgh
The first major exhibition of Scottish artist Joan Eardley?s work in nearly 20 years is the largest ever held, and exclusive to Edinburgh. The exhibition covers every aspect of her career, from pastel sketches to huge oil paintings, from student work to the rugged, majestic seascapes of her later years.

Crime Scene Edinburgh: 20 Years of Rankin and Rebus
When: 24th October 2007 - 13th January 2008 Where: Edinburgh
Retrospective of Edinburgh author Ian Rankin's great detective Rebus and his travails in the city's murky criminal underbelly,

Back to the Future: Sir Basil Spence, 1907-1976
When: 19th October 2007 - 10th February 2008 Where: Edinburgh
A celebratory retrospective of the diverse career of Scotland's most renowned modern architect, Sir Basil Spence, coinciding with the centenary of his birth, at Edinburgh's Dean Gallery.

Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting
When: 28th September 2007 - 6th April 2008 Where: Edinburgh
The first-ever exhibition of Flemish paintings in the Royal Collection brings together 51 works from the 15th to 17th centuries, including work by Hans Memling, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and Rubens.