Culture Scotland

Check out the ten shortlisted albums – and let us know who you think should triumph at Thursday's award ceremony

Vince Gilligan to deliver masterclass on US drama, with Hart taking part in Richard Dunn Memorial interview. By Jason Deans

Gigs include his first visit to Blackpool, dates at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium – and a return to the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The dates of the upcoming shows are: 18, 19, 20 November – Glasgow; 22, 23, 24 November – Blackpool; 26, 27, 28 November – London. Tickets go on sale on 14 June, click here for more information.

Following last week’s widely appreciated keynote speech by Culture Minister, Fiona Hyslop, and the appointment of a new CEO at Creative Scotland, Janet Archer, comes a Petition to the Scottish Government calling on them to deliver a new participative Cultural Policy for Scotland

A DARING and controversial play partly inspired by the Jimmy Savile scandal, Hollywood actor Alan Cumming’s one-man version of Macbeth and Taggart star Blythe Duff’s portayal of a husband killer have all been honoured at the Scottish theatre “Oscars”.

The Playlist call it the “the Welsh movie fans have been waiting for since 1996.”

James McAvoy leads the picture as Bruce Robertson, a sex-obsessed, cocaine-addicted, bigoted Scottish police officer who is supposed to be investigating a murder but gets sidetracked by his own various vices.

[Warning: this trailer is definitely not safe for work!]

HE WAS one of Scotland’s seminal modern authors, whose work straddled genres, and was adapted to stage, radio and both the big and small screens.

Ambitious proposals to market Perth and Kinross as an events destination could provide the area with an £8 million boost.

JAPAN AND SCOTLAND HAVE QUITE A BIT IN COMMON, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. A SMALL ISLAND NATION SITTING OFF THE EDGE OF A BIGGER CONTINENT. A PROUD NATIONAL HERITAGE OF INNOVATION, ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURE. NOT VERY GOOD AT FOOTBALL. RAIN. AND BOTH NATIONS HAVE BEEN PUTTING THEIR OVER-AVERAGE RAINFALL TO GOOD USE, MAKING EXCELLENT MALT WHISKIES. SCOTLAND'S SITUATION AT THE VERY TOP OF WHISKY-PRODUCING NATIONS IS VERY SECURE*, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED UN-PATRIOTIC TO REGARD WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE UP TO, AND TO CONSIDER HOW THEIR MALTS COMPARE. IN FACT, AS THE MOST SOPHISTICATED WHISKY-DISTILLING AND -DRINKING NATION IN THE WORLD, YOU COULD SAY IT'S OUR DUTY...

Lang syne acceptit as a ‘language’ by the Scottish an UK parliaments, oor heidmaist spoken minority leid aye has a want o status or e’en visability in education, the prent press (ootside o cartoons), in braidcastin, academia, science or in onie ither mensefu area.

Tho remainin a near ‘secret tongue’ Scots is spoken yet by hunders o thoosands o Scots. The census nummers will nae doot prove Scots is uised bi monie times the amoot of fowk spaekin Scotland’s ither minoritie leid, Gaelic.

If Perth Festival wanted to showcase the quality of our songwriting and live performance, the choices were spot on.

A shy child with his nose permanently stuck in a book, Neil Gaiman grew up to become a publishing phenomenon writing scripts, graphic novels and fiction.

A structure which existed for just one night is one of 12 new buildings to be named the best in Scotland.

There was a glorious informality to this major restaging of the oldest known play in Scotland's dramatic history, presented as part of a major research project involving the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Edinburgh University and Historic Scotland.

HEADLINERS Basement Jaxx bring the house down as they close the first day of RockNess — after 30,000 thrilled fans partied in the sunshine

Welcome to the programme of events, a most impressive collection of Britain’s finest touring theatre, music, workshops and art exhibitions brought to your doorstep.