SCOTTISH crime-writing festival Granite Noir is set to get under way with more than 40 in-person events including talks, workshops, performances, escape rooms and films.

The Aberdeen event, running from February 24 to February 27, celebrates crime fiction in all its forms, with a focus on the contribution of Scottish writers to this genre.

This year, the festival features acclaimed crime fiction writers including Louise Welsh, Ruth Ware and Ann Cleeves, as well as Aberdeen’s own Stuart MacBride.

Events running include an exploration of the mysteries of life and death, with forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black looking at how we die and what happens when we do, while biochemist Professor Andrew Doig examines how death has changed over the past 10,000 years.

Other speakers include magician and historian Ian Keable, uncovering stories of the 18th-century’s most outrageous hoaxes and those who were duped by them.

An opportunity to try 007’s signature cocktail is available at Dr Kathryn Harkup’s event, Shaken Not Stirred, looking at the ways to die in the world of James Bond, including the ridiculous ones.

Audiences can also watch a live recording of the award-winning podcast Bad People, in which comedian Sofie Hagen and criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw unravel a criminal case.

There will also be performances of Witch Hunt, dramatising the trials and tribulations of those prosecuted for witchcraft throughout history, shown at Aberdeen’s historic Mither Kirk.

Other events will take place at the Lemon Tree, a festival hub, the newly restored Cowdray Hall and St Nicholas Kirk.

For those unable to attend performances in person, at the weekend there will be seven events livestreamed.

Tickets for all events can be found at granitenoir.com or from the box office at the music hall and Her Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen.