Spring is showing vague signs of arriving: the daffs are in bloom, the clocks have gone forward and the central heating only needs to be switched on for 23 hours a day. All of this means that the food festival season will soon be upon us.

Possibly the biggest of the lot is the Taste of Edinburgh food and drink festival which takes place from 29-31 May in a new venue: Inverleith Park. As well as a farmer’s market and cookery demos from celeb chefs, the attractions include tasting dishes from the menus of fourteen top Edinburgh restaurants including 5pm members: Centotre, Hotel du Vin, Malmaison, Santini, The Bonham, The Rutland and The Tower.

Tickets are available from www.tastefestivals.com/edinburgh

A few weekends before that, the Loch Fyne Food and Drink Fair is being held on Saturday and Sunday 9-10 May in the fields next to the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at Cairndow. West Coast food, wine, whisky and ales are the toast of the festival with over twenty local producers showcasing their wares to a background of live music.

For further information: www.lochfyne.com

The water of life takes the starring role in Whisky Month which takes place over the month of May. Comprising an extended Speyside Festival, the new Spirit of the West festival and Feis Ile, the Islay whisky and music festival, May looks set to be an exceptionally merry month. Special distillery tours, tastings, talks and plenty of samplings will mean that while Whisky month might be a little hazy, it won’t be easily forgotten.

More info on all three strands of Whisky Month can be found from here:

www.homecomingscotland2009.com/whats-on/whisky_month.html

Moving on to July, watch this space for news on Glasgow’s inaugural Foodies Festival which will take place in George Square on July 18/19. It’s an offshoot of the Foodies at the Festival event which has run in Edinburgh in August over the last couple of years.

www.foodiesfestival.com