It's that time of year again (so soon?), and as the nights draw in and thoughts turn to snowy hills the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has announced its annual series of winter safety lectures.

Delivered by MCofS Safety Advisor Heather Morning, the talks will be held at venues around Scotland. They aim to provide advice for people taking to the Scottish mountains in winter conditions, and will look to improve hillgoers' awareness and knowledge of topics such as navigation, equipment, route choice, avalanches and weather conditions.

With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, Heather has been a professional mountaineer for 20 years and for the last 12 years has been an active member of the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team.

The lectures will be illustrated by beautiful photography and full of anecdotes, with a focus on how to make the most of the mountains, offering practical advice on how best to prepare for a winter expedition and how to adapt skills and techniques.

The main series of lectures is being delivered in partnership with outdoor shops Tiso and Cotswold, who will be providing venues. Funds will be raised each night for the Mountain Safety Trust.

All evenings start at 7.30 p.m. The talks at Tiso stores will be free to attend, although a donation bucket will be passed around for the Mountain Safety Trust. At Cotswold there will be a nominal £2 charge for tickets, which will go to the Mountain Safety Trust.

Places should be booked in advance, say the MCofS, as demand is expected to be high. Anyone wishing attend should contact the relevant shops direct by email.

Dates are:

• 26 November – Cotswold, West End Retail Park, Glasgow

• 27 November – Cotswold, Rose Street, Edinburgh

• 4 December – Tiso, Longman Estate, Inverness

• 5 December – Cotswold, Guild Square, Aberdeen

• 10 December – Tiso, Highland Gateway, Perth

• 11 December – Tiso, Rose Street, Edinburgh

There will be a further two talks in February, both at the Mountain Café, Aviemore and sponsored by the Munro Society.