1 MY top pick of the week comes courtesy of a collaboration between the brilliant SWG3 and Celtic Connections, based around our national drink: whisky. Ya dancer! It’s the National Whisky Festival on January 26 from 12-8pm. Tickets aren’t cheap, but you do get a great deal of bang for your buck. The £40 charge includes bands hand-picked by Celtic Connections, more than 100 different types of whisky to try, exhibitors, masterclasses and a crystal nose glass to take home and keep. Book using this link: www.seetickets.com/tour/the-national-whisky-festival
2 Hipster Crazy Golf... only in Glasgow. This is a Weegie-themed crazy golf joint in a warehouse-style complex right beside Kinning Park tube station. As well as offering a whole lot of fun, a full range of craft beers and a well-crafted cocktail menu is available. Street food style is provided by the most excellent purveyors of yumminess, The Prague Shack. Open seven days until midnight and on Sundays it’s a family day, so bring the rugrats and moany teens for all the fun. Tickets from £7 but lots of offers and deals. Keep a wee eye on their website https://foreplaycrazygolf.co.uk
3 Govan Kingston SNP Burns Supper ... it doesn’t get better than this one folks. The Bluebells live, Dave Anderson from City Lights, Iain Robertson from River City, Scott Fletcher and music from Sara Clark Downie and Bryan Tolland from Del Amitri. Oh, and the immortal memory given by some politician called Nicola! Tickets £37.50 available www.govankingstonsnp.com
4 Also honouring our bard... the one and only Burns Supper actually held in his home, The Burns Cottage Burns Night. All proceeds go to Friends of Burns Museum. A night of haggis and whisky. One of the speakers is a direct descendant of Burns and bonnie Jean Armour. Contact the museum for tickets on 01292 443700. While on the Burns theme, a mention too for the Dumfries Big Burns Supper, which runs from January 24 until February 3. Programme highlights include KT Tunstall and the Peatbog Faeries on January 25. Info at: bigburnssupper.com
5 Fancy your Burns on the beach? Boardwalk Beach Club presents BBQ Burns Songs on Piano with Big Boaby. Songs, and bikes, and dugs, and weans, and coffee, and a haggis burger homebaking and torchlight. Bring your guitar and live the dream. Hosted at Marine Drive, Boardwalk Beach Club, Edinburgh, 12-3pm, Sunday, January 27. I’m going ... this sounds mega fun.
6 The Women’s Library is once again hosting their alternative Burns Night, where all things Burns get a twist, a turn, a birl … this year you could be ceilidh-ing the night away and hearing poetry and Gaelic song by awe-inspiring women creatives. Drinks and dancing and jaw-dropping performances promised by brilliant women, including Maeve MacKinnon and Bashabi Fraser, and the night will be peppered with poetry and song. The night is kindly sponsored by Freedom Bakery (that means there will be yummy for your tummy bread) Tickets available at https://womenslibrary.org.uk/event/alternative-burns-night-herland-ceilidh
7 Back by popular demand. One last chance to see the incredible Dark Side of the Moon dome night at Dynamic Earth. This will be unmissable. It’s the planets as you’ve never seen them before to a soundtrack of the legendary Pink Floyd album. Tonight 7.30pm. Tickets at www.dynamicearth.co.uk
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