It's the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes.

One staple of the festive period is, of course, the grand switching on of the Christmas lights in cities and towns around Scotland.

Unless you have a heart of stone, seeing those lights is bound to get you in the holiday spirit.

Before you know it you'll be buying gifts for your undeserving children and drinking too much mulled wine and Buck's Fizz.

So where and when are lights being turned on up and down the country?

The big switch-on in Scotland's most populous city will take place in George Square on Sunday, November 19.

Gates will open for ticket-holders at 5pm and close at 6.45pm, with the 14,000 lucky guests for the sold-out event having already been chosen by random ballot.

The following week, the George Square Christmas market will open in the wake of the festive market at St Enoch Square, which opened on November 9.

The nation's capital is also holding its free Christmas switch-on this Sunday, at the slightly earlier time of between 3pm to 5pm - with fireworks at the end of it.

Choirs from across Scotland will serenade an anticipated crowd of around 20,000 people for the city centre event.

The Christmas Tree on the Mound, a gift to the council from Hordaland County Council in Norway, will be lit also be lit up as part of the switch-on.

Football legend Denis Law will be awarded the Freedom of Aberdeen as part of city's Christmas lights switch-on event on Sunday, November 26, starting at 5.30pm.

There will be a colourful parade from Albyn Place to the Castlegate, with Law travelling in an open top car down Union Street to the Town House.

The city's traditional Christmas Village has already returned to Broad Street, with its popular open air ice rink and fairground rides, including a traditional carousel, helter-skelter and "the Blizzard".

The City of Discovery is hosting three days of celebrations next weekend - with the switch-on happening on Friday, November 24.

Following a torchlight procession, the lights will be going on in City Square at around 6.45pm.

It will also be shown on a big screen at Slessor Gardens, where other events will be taking place.

Over the weekend Dundonians will enjoy fireworks, choir singing, ice sculptures, nativity plays and a silent movie night - all the good stuff.

The Highlands capital is also hosting its switch-on Sunday, November 19, along with Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Santa (the real one, I've been reliably informed) will lead a parade through city centre starting at 5.15pm, followed by the lights going on at 6pm and then a wholesome carol service.

Stirling's big lights switch-on beginning with an "afternoon of free family fun" starting at 2pm this Sunday, with a procession from the Albert Halls to The Thistles shopping centre led by Santa (he sure gets around).

This is followed by a Central FM radio roadshow at the foot of King Street before the lights go on at 5pm.

Perth's switch-on is wrapped up in a list of two days of Christmas festivities this weekend, with the lights going on at 6.15pm on Tay Street on Saturday, November 18.

The city is also hosting something on King Edward Street over the weekend marketed as a "Chocolate and Gin Street Fest", which certainly caught the attention of this pair of eyes.

Among the stars visiting the Fair City over the festive period are Alesha Dixon, MUD and East 17.