Six of the best:

Get your year off to a great start with our pick of where to live your best life in March and April…

On your marks:
run balmoral

The Royal Deeside Running festival is back on the 27th and 28th of April. There are races of all lengths from 1.5km for primary kids to the gruelling Devil of Deeside and you can also do a bit of charity fundraising. Sign up at runbalmoral.com

Cheap thrills: Aberdeen lynx vs. kilmarnock thunder

Head to the Lynx Ice Arena for high-octane ice hockey. Our local heroes take on Kilmarnock Thunder on the 9th of March and Edinburgh Capitals on the 23rd. It’s fast, furious and great value. Tickets £8-£10 from  ticketsource.co.uk/aberdeenlynx

Fancy a laugh: Gilded balloon’s big fab comedy show

Head to the Tivoli on March 18th for a line-up of headline comics and rising stars including Jay Lafferty, Susan Riddell and Maisie Adam. Tickets from £28.13 via aberdeenperformingarts.com

A brush with the orient: Chinese brush painting

Learn to paint orchids or lotus blossom with a two hour Chinese Brush Painting workshop hosted by the Confucius Institute at Aberdeen University. Places cost £20. Book at  store.abdn.ac.uk/short-courses/confucius-institute/confucius-institute/chinese-brush-painting-winter-2024

Dance yourself dizzy: Clubland arena tour at p&j live

Get out your feather-trimmed neon Lycra for a nostalgic night of club classics. The question is, can you still throw shapes for three hours straight? Tickets from £39.50 via  pandjlive.com

Out of the woodwork: Spoon carving workshop

Slow it down with a one day spoon carving workshop with Louise Forbes at The Barn in Banchory on either March 29 or 30. Come home with a sense of achievement and a seriously expensive spoon. £85, book at  thebarnarts.co.uk