Flower arranging
Since 2003, Vivienne Lee and Nick Priestly have been shaping Mood Flowers into one of the most successful florists in Scotland, fielding celebrity requests and garnering praise for their unashamedly aesthetic approach. Visit their shop in the west end of Glasgow and you'll see why: white roses, wrapped in silver wire, spiral up from elegant, cylindrical glass vases, while combinations of pinks and greens bring to mind delicate watercolours.

Now they are branching out with a flower school at their Hyndland Street location. There is no guarantee that your arrangements will look as magical as your teachers', but you can be comforted by the fact that those teachers are eminently qualified for the job. Classes begin on October 16, starting at £75.

www.moodflowers.com, 0845 362 0982.

Bonsai
The Taoist monks said to have created the art of bonsai in China more than 2000 years ago believed nature was beholden to magical forces, and that to concentrate it in the form of a bonsai tree was to focus those forces.

In Scotland, a land of untamed and sometimes brutal wilderness, the delicate, precise pursuit of tending bonsai is treated with dedication by its followers. The Grampian Bonsai Society has been running free classes since 1985.

www.bonsaigrampian.org.uk

Drystone dyking
It was once a skill required by every farmer and crofter. That is no longer the case, but drystone dyking is still a fantastic skill to learn.

Neil Moffat has more than 15 years' walling experience and has been training fellow enthusiasts for almost as long. He offers courses for beginners as well as more advanced and refresher lessons for those whose skills could be improved. A beginners' course will be held at Woodheads Farm, Lauder, on September 13 and 14 and costs £90.

For more information, visit www.nmdrystonework.co.uk.

For other drystone walling events, contact your local Drystone Walling Association: www.dswa.org.uk.

Candle making and more
A workshop of true variety for anyone who wants to explore arts and crafts in as many directions as possible - embossing, soap and candle making, silk and china painting, aromatherapy and lantern making the list goes on. Suffice it to say that, whether it's to create a heartfelt gift, brighten up the furnishings of your home with a personal touch or simply explore a new and unusual skill, it's likely that Craft Kitchen will have something for you. Prices vary, and start at £8.

www.craftkitchen.pwp.

blueyonder.co.uk/index.html, 0131 538 0947.

The paranormal
It seems fitting that Edinburgh, the most shadow-haunted of cities, has the Koestler Parapsychology Unit residing in the psychology department of its ancient university. Named after Darkness at Noon author Arthur Koestler and his wife, who bequeathed their entire estate to establishing a parapsychology chair at a British university, the department is composed of students and academics researching the paranormal, psychic ability and what are rather ominously referred to as "anomalous experiences".

Degrees are reserved for students, but a separate course is available to everyone and promises to teach the techniques of paranormal investigators. Registration is £200.

www.koestler-parapsychology.psy.ed.ac.uk, 0131 650 3440.

Burlesque
When it began, people said it would never work - that Scotland was too dour and humourless. Yet against all odds, the dandified, pinstriped, high-heeled hordes that make up its patrons have turned Club Noir into something of a Glasgow institution. Having returned burlesque to prominence virtually single-handedly since opening in 2004, Noir's creators Tina Warren and Ian Single have ventured further with their wildly successful burlesque classes.

These offer "a fun, intensive workshop for women who want a little glamour in their lives." From the den of goths and playboys, cigarette girls and stilt walkers, carnival culture and old-fashioned style, they may get even more than that. The workshop costs £75.

www.clubnoir.co.uk.

Chinese brush painting
If the exertions of burlesque sound a little too energetic for you, perhaps the gentle peace of a course in calligraphy and Chinese brush painting will suit you better. The Confucius Institute for Scotland is based in Edinburgh and focuses on helping develop effective Sino-Scottish cultural and academic links. A number of classes are offered, including a course in Chinese music where students can study instruments such as the yangqin, or Chinese hammered dulcimer.

No prior knowledge is necessary for the brush painting course; all that is asked is that students are "keen to learn and willing to hold a brush". The class runs from September 29 to December 1 and costs £125, inclusive of course materials.

www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk.

Belly dancing
The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of belly-dancing in Scotland, which sounds a little unlikely: the sinuous, undulating movements of the Middle East and North Africa transported to our dark, dreich corner of the Earth.

Perhaps it is this perceived exoticism that kick-started the trend, but classes such as the ones offered by Belly Dance Divas in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee have made it stick. Says workshop teacher and veteran belly-dancer Yasmina: "To me, this dance has brought much joy, fulfilment and depth of self-expression, as I believe it has and will do for countless others. No matter how small or great a part it plays in your life, it is always life-enhancing and ultimately good for the soul."

Belly dancing is also increasingly becoming a popular way of losing weight. One wonders what you dance with once all the belly's gone? Prices start at £20.

www.bellydancedivas.co.uk/index.htm, 0131 228 2683.

Stained glass
Nestled in the Morningside neighbourhood, the large, expertly staffed Edinburgh Stained Glass studio offers courses in creating your own stained glass and mosaics, from beginner to advanced level. A perfect way to transform something mundane through sheer creativity and a few art supplies, stained glass is a deceptively wide-ranging discipline - meaning that once you've started, you may be surprised at the variety of directions in which you can take it.

www.stained-glass.biz, 0131 452 8062.

Muay Thai Boxing for women
Don't confuse this with the countless health classes which use the mannerisms of a fighting style merely to exercise. Andrea Smith, a former professional swimmer and Muay expert of 10 years, is offering a course that teaches genuine techniques in this martial art in a specifically equipped gym.

This is a genuinely interesting self-defence course, with possibilities for advancement and competition. Each class is £3.

www.wossobama.co.uk/femalethai-kickboxing.php, 07885 348652.

Poetry
Vital Synz, the events branch of the Glasgow Poetry Society, offers its members the chance to improve their verse through workshops with professionals Gerrie Fellows, Gerry McGrath and Gerry Cambridge.Whether you're wondering about having your poetry published or simply interested in the opinions of professionals, Vital Synz's workshops aim to further its core objective: "To nurture the development of poets and poetry across the community".

There are also competitions available to enter, with prizes of up to £5000. One year's membership costs £50.

www.vitalsynz.co.uk.

Falconry
For a wonderfully close encounter with wildlife, Falconry Scotland offers visitors the opportunity to learn how to handle and look after a bird of prey. With expert tuition and birds ranging in size from a little owl to a tawny eagle, Falconry Scotland promises to deliver a treat for those fascinated by the world of falconry adventures.

www.falconryscotland.co.uk. Prices vary; visit the website for more details.

Surfing
For many of us, surfing is a pursuit that will always exist in the dreamlike netherworld conjured by Beach Boys songs and Point Break, in Malibu and Hawaii - not in the sea Billy Connolly once described as "the Arctic Ocean with a different name".

But for those prepared to put preconceptions to one side (and to put an insulated wetsuit on), Coast to Coast is the company to go to. A family-run surf school operating out of Belhaven Bay near Dunbar, it offers brave souls aged from seven to 70 training courses and competitions. And who knows: the mythical ultimate wave all surfers seek might yet turn up on Scotland's shores. Will you be prepared for it? Prices start at £35.

www.c2cadventure.com, 07971 990361.

Wine tasting
In Enlightenment Edinburgh, the tipple of choice was not whisky but wine - proof of which is offered by the vast vaults that still exist under Leith.

If you feel like continuing this noble tradition, the Edinburgh Wine School is for you. It offers courses and one-day tasting sessions for £15. 0131 477 4565

www.edinburghwineschool.co.uk