list.co.uk/aroundtown

Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Photographer Paul Seawright talks about his illustrious career. An Introduction to Modern Art: Looking Mon 27 Oct, 10.30am– 12.30pm. £15 (£12). Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6560. Art historian Ola Wojtkiewicz leads an informal themed discussion. Booking essential.

Gordon Buchanan: Lost Adventures Mon 27 Oct,

7.30–9pm. £12.50–£14.50. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Gordon’s tales of his adventures, expedition and wildlife experiences. See preview, page 46. FREE Muriel Spark Society Annual Lecture Tue 4 Nov, 6pm. National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3734. Prize-winning writer Candia McWilliam on Spark’s life and work. FREE Watson Gordon Lecture: Unfinished Paintings: Narratives of the Non-Finito Thu 6 Nov, 6–7.30pm. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. David Bomford of Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts talks about the extent to which a picture can said to be ‘finished’. FREE Lee Miller’s Transgressive Eroticism Tue 11 Nov, 12.45– 1.30pm. Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Patricia Allmer of the University of Edinburgh talks about legendary photographer and sometime model Lee Miller, in a talk prompted by Miller’s extraordinary diptych Severed Breast (from Radical Mastectomy).

Workshops Saturday Life Drawing Class Sat 18 Oct, 10.30am–12.30pm & 2–4pm. £15 (£12). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6560. Artist Graham Flack leads this drawing workshop; learn how others have portrayed the human figure, and then draw from a life model yourself.

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NIGHT IN THE GARDEN Throughout most of November, Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden is hosting its inaugural outdoor lighting festival. Visitors will be able to see the city’s celebrated gardens which have been at their current Inverleith site since 1820 illuminated against the night sky. ‘It’s about dark, it’s about light, it’s about shadow,’ Malcolm Innes, joint lighting designer alongside Euan Winton, told us. ‘And it’s about revealing these things that the ambient light washes away.’ (Claire Flynn) Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Thu 30 Oct–Sun 23 Nov.

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation with the Gar Trinley Yongkhyab Ling Sangha Sundays, 3–5pm. £3 suggested donation. Abbey Mount Centre, 2–4 Abbeymount, 661 2780. Experience traditional Tibetan Buddhist meditation. CircuSkool Sundays, 6–10pm. £4. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. Edinburgh-based fire troupe PyroCeltica, teach modern day circus skills. Under 16s welcomed if accompanied by an adult. Creative Writing for Beginners Taster Session: Poetry Thu 23 Oct, 10.15am. £15 (£12). Scottish National Gallery, The Mound, 624 6200. Writer Helen Boden introduces the basics of poetry, using a work of art as inspiration.. Learn to Felt Sun 26 Oct, 10.30am– 4pm. £45. myBearpaw, 50 Lochrin Buildings, Gilmore Place, 228 6377. Learn how to wet felt and create all manner of fun things. Wedding Cake Demonstration Sun

Events | AROUND TOWN

26 Oct, 1–3pm. £10. Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 38 West Nicolson Street, 667 7533. See how a wedding cake is professionally decorated. There’s also info about future classes Curtain Making Workshop Sun 26 Oct, 2–5pm. £22 (£18). Remade in Edinburgh, 17 Guthrie Street, 261 5904. Workshop that teaches window measuring; how to calculate fabric quantities, attach linings and heading tapes; hemming and arranging pleats. Storytelling Masterclass Sun 2 Nov, 2–4pm. £15. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. If you fancy improving your storytelling skills, this is a one-off workshop led by Ashley Ramsden to get to grips with the art. Christmas Angel Sewing Workshop Sun 9 Nov, 10am–5pm. £45. myBearpaw, 50 Lochrin Buildings, Gilmore Place, 228 6377. Create a unique Christmas tree topping. Participants need a sewing machine and materials. Mosaic Workshop: Snowflake Pot Stand Sun 9 Nov, 2–5.30pm. £26 (£21). Remade in Edinburgh, 17 Guthrie Street, 261 5904. A workshop in mosaic techniques for all experience levels. Materials are provided, although you’re welcome to bring your own.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES Activities & Events Fright Night Fri 24, Sat 25, Fri 31 Oct & Sat 1 Nov, 7.30pm & 9pm. £10. Linlithgow Palace, Kirkgate, Linlithgow, 668 8885. A night-time walk through the Palace to find out about the ghosts of Linlithgow. Not for young children. Night of the Black Death Fri 31 Oct, 6–9pm. £8 (members £5). Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Millfield, Livingston, 01506 414957. Interactive physical experience set in the dark shadows and ancient buildings of Mill Farm. Dress as a plague victim. Booking essential.

You’ll be amazed at what’s in store. shopek.co.uk