In pictures: Spooky Scotland is ready for Halloween
- Published

Rufio the red panda has a sniff of a pumpkin at Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder
Fright night is almost upon us as Halloween 2023 gets under way.
Many celebrations have already taken place, but there is still some guising to be done when the sun sets.
You have been sending us your pictures of spooky goings-on in the lead-up to the 31st.
Here is a selection of our favourites.

Irene Hartshorn from Ayr captured this scene in the lane near her home after she took her dog for an evening walk and realised she was being watched.

The owner of this house in Edinburgh got the Halloween memo. Elaine Malone was so impressed she took a photo.

Andrew Henderson, from Glasgow, took this photo of the Paisley Halloween Festival.

Andrew Macdonald was also there and sent us this picture of drummers at the festival.

David Lonsdale spotted this knitted Halloween decoration in Dunblane.

"It looks nothing like me" says the squirrel on Kinnoull hill looking at the carved pumpkin, wrote Peter Wilkinson.

More pumpkins as Dena Mackintosh got ready for Halloween in Morar.

Paisley Town Hall seemed to be taken over by something creepy last weekend, witnessed by Sharon Smith from East Kilbride.

Inflatable ghouls entertained in Paisley's town centre.

Another from Paisley, where this monster did a great job of frightening Colin Gillespie from East Kilbride.

The walls may have ears but the trees have eyes in Paisley during the Halloween festival.

James McBryde's picture of a pumpkin display by local primary schools in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens.

This grumpy black cat warns those entering Kirkcowan in Dumfries and Galloway that spooky things lie ahead.

And the Meerkats at Blair Drummond Safari Park enjoyed their photoshoot with some carved pumpkins and celebrated by eating the props.
All images are copyrighted.