THE weekend has a nautical air as everyone is invited along to Lyme Regis Museum tomorrow to try their hand at making a driftwood model boat.

Local artist Alison Bowskill will help you see the possibilities in pieces of driftwood from the beach.

Drop into the museum between 11am and 3pm – all materials supplied.

Admission is free.

With Hallowe’en just around the corner, there are some ghoulish goings-on planned for the weekend too.

At Portland Castle, you can take haunted tours of the ancient fortification and much more besides.

Enjoy fangtastic Hallowe’en games with devilish prizes to be won and get the whole family involved, trying on armour, exploring the castle’s Tudor kitchen and seeing if you can spot the spooks and ghosts said to haunt this historic location.

Hallowe’en events run from 11am until 4pm daily and admission to the castle is £4.30 plus concessions, free for English Heritage members.

Weymouth’s Nothe Fort – said to be one of the most haunted places in the British isles – is also pulling out the stops for Hallowe’en and running ‘dinner and ghostly happenings’ events tomorrow and Sunday.

Admission is £15 to include a three-course meal and free parking inside the fort. Please note, the evenings are not for the faint-hearted!

For details and tickets call 01305 766626 between 9am and 3pm, or 01305 775829 in the evening.

The full beauty of this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is on show at two stunning locations this weekend. The illuminated evenings at Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens near Weymouth are in full swing and drawing in the crowds.

Take a magical evening stroll along candle-lit pathways through enchanted glades and see the gardens in a whole new and magical light.

The gardens stay open until 8.30pm for magical lighting and this is also a great opportunity to do some Christmas shopping and enjoy great food in the Old Colonial Tea-house.

The gardens are also hosting three evenings of spooktacular Hallowe’en fun from today until Sunday.

You can expect to see a stunning laser show, a fire eater and have your face painted for free. There is also a creepy-crawlie tent for those of you who like bugs and a carved pumpkin competition.

On top of all this, you are invited to turn up in fancy dress.

The gardens are open from 10am and are floodlit from dusk until 8.30pm. Admission is £9.95 plus concessions. Call 01305 871130 for full details.

Sherborne Castle is holding its Autumn Colours weekend tomorrow and Sunday between 11am and 4.30pm each day.

Built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594 and the stately home of the Digby family since 1617, Sherborne Castle is a Historic House which reflects a glorious variety of decorative styles from 400 years of English history The gardens were created by Capability Brown and at this time of year are a mass of stunning russets, reds, gold and brown.

There are more than 30 acres of gardens and some 40 acres of grounds in total which are open for public viewing, combined in a rolling landscape of sweeping lawns, borders and majestic specimen trees around the lake.

Paths and trails lead around the gardens to gain views of the lake and parklands beyond.

The natural and tranquil setting provides an ideal habitat for the abundant wildlife found on the lake and adjacent grounds, with a host of duck species, water-fowl and migratory birds.

Admission is £5 with children aged up to 15 free.