November: it’s a month that often seems to fly by unnoticed while we write lists in the sprint towards Christmas. But perhaps it’s time to stop, and embrace this ‘transition to winter’ month. Light some candles, throw a log on that fire, and we’ll tell you how.

St Andrew’s Day at the Wallace Monument, Stirling

Festive Lights Event 12-5pm 15 November, Loch Lomond Shores: Nothing is more cheering in the darker winter days than light in any one of its guises – whether that be candles, open fires, or fireworks. And if you are someone who refuses to acknowledge Christmas until you turn your calendar page to December, then there’s not even a single mention of the ‘C-word’ at the Festive Lights Event at Loch Lomond Shores in Balloch on Sunday 15 November. Kicking off their festive programme of events in the weeks that follow, there will be live DJs, market stalls and street food, as well as free entertainment and activities for the kids. To finish the day with a bang, there will be a spectacular fireworks display over the Loch. The day out is free, as is the parking. Details here: http://www.lochlomondshores.com/whats-on/

Branagh Theatre Live: The Winter’s Tale, 26 November: Chilly outside? How about snuggling up in a warm theatre for a bit of winter Shakespeare? The Macrobert Arts Centre Stirling are screening Branagh Theatre, broadcast live from London’s Garrick Theatre, with a play that’s perfect for the season. A tale of jealousy and its consequences, ‘A Winter’s Tale’ will star a remarkable group of actors, featuring Judi Dench as Paulina, alongside Tom Bateman (Florizel), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Hadley Fraser (Polixenes), Miranda Raison (Hermione) and Kenneth Branagh as Leontes. And there’s a happy ending too. For more information visit http://macrobertartscentre.org

Balfron Woodland Light Experience, 12-25 November: If you missed getting tickets for the Enchanted Forest at Faskally Wood in October, then this event might just be for you. Illuminating 14 acres of woodland on the edge of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, the Woodland Light Experience brings nature to life at night with light, sound and projection in North Ballochruin Farm, in Balfron Station. There’s a heart-warming story behind it too – the forest was created by doting grandfather of five Mr Hendry, who then decided to make it an experience not only for his own grandchildren, but for all children. Look out for their Santa Experience too. You need to book tickets but parking is free. Details here: http://www.woodlandexperiences.co.uk/light-experience/ and you might want to like them on Facebook too: www.facebook.com/seelights

St Andrew’s day Inspiration: Our poor Patron Saint St Andrew tends to get forgotten, appearing as he does in the last day of November – just one sleep before the advent calendars open. But this year, VisitScotland are determined we shouldn’t forget him, and have created a useful portal of St Andrews Day events for you to browse by postcode. Noteworthy amongst them is the Wallace Monument in Stirling, who will be offering free entry throughout the St Andrews’s day weekend of 28th and 29th. What better way to honour our patron saint than a climb up the Abbey Craig and a visit to this emblem of our nationhood? For more details on this and events throughout Scotland, see: http://www.scotland.org/whats-on/st-andrews-days-out/

Who says festivals are all about summer, music, mud and portaloos? Autumn brings a host of brilliant, family-friendly festivals throughout Perthshire, so embrace the season, and make some dates in your diaries!

Chocolate: Perthshire’s antidote to autumn and winter blues

October Tayfest: This Perthshire autumn festival celebrates ‘the very best of family fun and nature rolled into one!’ Running from Saturday 24th to Saturday 31st October 2015 the festival will include a food and craft fair, ghost walks, poetry and art exhibitions, tasting day, Halloween holiday storytime and night rides, crazy golf, walking tours, a beaver safari, animal encounters, cookie decorating workshops, canoeing taster sessions, night safaris and a screening of the new Peter Pan movie ‘Pan’. Phew! Definitely something in there for everyone. For full details of all the events, their locations and pricing, see http://www.octobertayfest.co.uk/

Celtic Samhain Festival: if you are tired of trick or treaters and want a fresh slant on Halloween, then why not spend it in an Iron Age timber house on the atmospheric banks of Loch Tay? The Crannog Centre in Kenmore celebrates Samhain, the Celtic autumn festival marking the end of the harvest, the onset of the darker half of the year, and the predecessor to Halloween. Come suitably dressed for an evening of myths, legends, flaming torches, incense burning, and a wicker ram bonfire. There will be refreshments too. Book early to avoid disappointment: http://www.crannog.co.uk/

The Enchanted Forest: Okay, not a festival in name, but truly an autumn festival of nature, light and sound. Faskally Wood’s ‘Enchanted Forest’ runs 1 October to 1 November and is fast becoming THE event of the Scottish autumn calendar and deserves a mention. This multi-award winning show fuses light and music to illuminate the forest at night and set your imagination alight. It drew 46,000 visitors last year alone, and has swept the boards at several Scottish events awards. This year’s show is all about movement, waves and energy, and has been named ‘Flux’. To find out more and book tickets (quickly) see: http://www.enchantedforest.org.uk/

Perth Festival of Chocolate: Celebrating ‘the delights of the cocoa bean’, Perth Festival of Chocolate is now in its third year, and takes place on 21 and 22 November in King Edward Street, Perth. Coinciding with Perth’s Christmas lights switch on, the Festival attracts hundreds of visitors to the scenic city. Organised by Perth Farmers Market, the Festival will comprise market stalls selling speciality chocolate, home-baked chocolate products, chocolate drinks, cocoa-based cosmetics and much more. Local restaurants will also participate by showcasing their own “chocolate dinners”, and chocolate-themed specials and cocktails during the event. As well as chocolate, there will be a great selection of hot street food, cooking demos, and story-telling. Details here: http://www.perthfestivalofchocolate.co.uk/

At the foot of Stirling’s Old Town, and a minute or two away from the bustling city centre, are the Albert Halls, which have become Stirling’s acclaimed venue for conferences, weddings and the arts. Tucked inside, with a warm welcome and a mouth-watering menu, Henderson’s Bistro has distinguished itself as one of Stirling’s best restaurants, with the ability to cater for everyone from pre-theatre diners to large weddings and conferences.

Attention to detail, creativity and seasonal flavours characterise the Henderson’s menu

Henderson’s Bistro is owned by Jill and Lindsay Henderson, who, with head chef Lawrence Crompton Howe, set up the thriving business over eight years ago. They were joined by Kenny Nairns, who was soon promoted to front of house and the team was further augmented by the arrival of second chef Andrew Harrison two years later.

Theirs is an experienced line-up: before opening the Bistro, Jill and Lindsay had spent some 15 years providing outside catering, while Lawrence arrived fresh from the kitchens of Gleneagles. Kenny brought 16 years’ experience of hospitality in Stirling and Aberdeen, while Andrew added his own years of experience working in kitchens.

It’s clear that this collective knowledge pays off: the Bistro has an enviable reputation both for its attention to detail on the one hand, and the ability to create incredible food for very large numbers on the other. Their menu includes Daily Specials, inspired by seasonal local produce, as well as lunch and dinner menus that bring a modern twist to classic dishes. ‘Our customers come for our delicious wide range of food that is all freshly prepared in house and our excellent customer service,’ explains Kenny. The restaurant’s famed beer battered haddock and hand cut chips is a particular favourite amongst regulars.

The restaurant has come a long way. When they opened eight years ago, they catered only for lunches Monday to Saturday and ran the bar on show nights in the Albert Halls. Now they have added evening dinners on weekends and cater for the Albert Halls’ bespoke wedding service, corporate events, charity dinner dances, pre-theatre meals, outside events, parties and much more. With such catering expertise under its own roof, the Albert Halls is enjoying its current status as Stirling’s premier wedding venue.

The benefits work both ways, however: ‘The Albert Halls provides us with a beautiful historic building in which to ply our trade and provides us with exciting business opportunities,’ says Kenny. ‘We provide our excellent food and friendly service to bands, musicians, and comedians, as well as weddings and other events.’

The future? ‘Our goals are not to rest on our laurels. We want to keep growing the business to ensure that our existing customers are extremely happy, while attracting new customers who will be equally as pleased.  Our motto is Delivering Uncompromising Quality and we want to keep that up.’

And they are true to their word about never resting: though every day is incredibly busy, they’ve already finalised their Christmas menu, which looks both delicious and creative (shot glass mousse trio, anyone?). And it’s September. Now, that’s organised.

More information: Henderson’s Bistro, Albert Halls, Dumbarton Road, Stirling FK8 2QL. Tel: 01786 469727 Website: www.hendersonsstirling.co.uk

Photo credits: Food and interior pics of Albert Halls, reproduced by kind permission of Henderson’s Bistro. Photographer Paul Andrew. Albert Halls exterior: Kenneth Allen [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Around a fifth of tourists coming to Scotland now state that they’ve come because they’ve seen Scotland in TV and film. It’s no surprise that productions like Outlander and Game of Thrones have hugely boosted Scotland’s tourism industry.

Glencorse Old Kirk in Penicuik will appeal to romantic Outlander fans

One of the beauties of ‘set-jetting’ – visiting the film locations of your favourite movie or series – is that you can easily create your own location itinerary. Our properties in Perthshire are perfectly placed for an Outlander Tour, so here’s how to build your own – all locations are around an hour or less from Perth.

Just 18 miles from Perth takes you to Falkland in Fife, which appears in the first series as the perfect stand-in for 1940s Inverness. Make sure to look out for the local shops and hotels that appear in the series – Falkland’s Covenanter Hotel became Mrs Baird’s Guesthouse, while the Fayre Earth Gift Shop was transformed into Farrell’s Hardware and Furniture Store through whose windows Claire gazes. You might also recognise the Bruce Fountain, the landmark where Frank encounters the ghost of Jamie in the first episode.

Just 37 miles or 44 minutes’ drive from Perth and you can be in Hopetoun house, which appears in the Outlander series as the stately home of the Duke of Sandringham. Described as ‘Scotland’s Finest Stately Home’ you may find Hopetoun House a much more impressive façade in real life, as portions of the buildings were digitally removed in the TV series. The real house retains much of its 18th century furniture and wall coverings and, situated in pretty South Queensferry, is worth a day out in its own right. Details on how to visit here: http://hopetoun.co.uk/

It’s just 43 miles, or a picturesque hour and 12 minutes, in the car to the Dunalastair Estate in Kinloch Rannoch, Perthshire. You may recognise the landscape here as that in which Claire disappeared amongst the standing stones of Craigh na Dun. Though you won’t find the film set’s stones anymore, you will witness the majestic scenery that provided the backdrop to the dramatic episode. Encircled by Munros, nearby Rannoch Moor is an evocative place – a true wilderness that is well worth a visit. For more information, see: http://www.kinlochrannoch.com/

The more romantic among us won’t mind the one-hour drive to Glencorse Old Kirk in Penicuik, where Outlander’s Jamie and Claire get married. The 17th century kirk is definitely a church that time forgot, with a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere, set in the foothills of the Pentlands. Avid fans might be interested not only in visiting but getting married here – find out all about it on their website: http://www.glencorsehouse.co.uk/

And if you want a short city visit, jump on the train for the one-hour journey from Perth to Glasgow Queen Street. Leave the station and you’ll immediately find yourself facing George Square, which was given a 1940s makeover for Frank’s marriage proposal to Claire. This impressive square has become a favourite for locations scouts in recent years, appearing in both Cloud Atlas and World War Z. The architecture is stately and beautifully preserved, and the surrounding streets offer some great dining too. For more information, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Square

Photo credits: Falkland Fife: By Kim Traynor (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Glencorse Old Kirk: james denham [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Hopetoun House: By Mehmet Karatay (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons.