CONTEMPORARY

Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Lily Allen. It reads like a who's who of rock royalty but it's actually just a handful of the A-list artists who'll be setting stages alight across Scotland this year.

Scotland's music scene is absolutely brimming with brilliant talent. Loads of your favourite artists are actually from here too. Acts like KT Tunstall, Travis, El Presidente and Franz Ferdinand have achieved international recognition and draw a huge following from across the world. But catch them performing live here in Scotland and you'll soon see why they love nothing better than playing to a fired-up home crowd.

Scotland is blisteringly hot at the moment for new talent. Home grown acts like Paulo Nutini and The View got their break here. So get yourself along to a live gig and be there in person when the next 'big thing' gets discovered.

There are plenty of places to catch live performances, wherever you're staying. In fact, Scotland is home to some of the best live music venues in the UK. There's King Tut's in Glasgow, where a certain bunch of unknowns called Oasis were discovered. Then there's the Glasgow Barrowlands, which has played host to some of the biggest music stars in the world. From Bowie to Basement Jaxx, Razorlight to The Rolling Stones, anyone who's anyone has rocked this historic Glasgow venue. While over in Edinburgh, the legendary Liquid Rooms has been home to some of the best gigs in town over the years.

If you're lucky enough to be here during the summer months, you're in for a treat as Scotland hosts some of the biggest and best music festivals in Europe. From the mighty T in the Park, which attracts over 120,000 music fans each year, to the brand new Outsider festival, which takes place in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, there's something for all tastes and ages. Other popular festivals include the Skye Music Festival, Rockness and Connect, which takes place in the spectacular grounds of Inveraray Castle on the shores of Loch Fyne.

So whether you fancy jumping around to the biggest names in music or taking in an intimate performance by the best unsigned talent out there, you can do it all here. And with regular live gigs taking place at venues all across Scotland, you'll never be stuck for somewhere to go. Check out our music events listing for inspiration to help you plan your visit.