Tartan Heart Festival @ Belladrum, Invernesshire, 8-9 Aug

Despite recent heavy headline casualties (including The Long Blondes and The Holloways) Belladrum has proven its thus far short-lived but prolific festival pedigree to pull together a most worthy craic-filled summer gathering. Where else could your rock be spun across the worlds of Jefferson Starship, Edywn Collins, Nouvelle Vague and the Lemonheads over a Friday and Saturday? Well, Glastonbury obviously. But the mere mention of the G word is worthy in this quick glance - at least in the festival spirit stakes.

Tartan Heart’s family friendly focus (kids under-13 free), inclusive camping and complimentary parking are refreshing factors that stand well with the Highland community, especially in the tide of penny-doom. So with promoter Joe Gibbs having already delivered his third, and valued, electronic-based Rock Ness in June we’re back by Beauly for a treat in folk, rock and indie-alternative. Mike Scott brings back the Waterboys, Cold War Kids do the Californian thing, Dreadzone get their dub on while Scotland celebrates an ever-present folio with Sons and Daughters, The Twilight Sad, Idlewild and the ‘delboy’ himself Justin Currie representing home turf. Around one-hundred acts over eight stages with the Black-Isle Brewery all but serving Tea in their grassroots stage, Bella has arrived, and to the beat of a drum.

Some intelligent geographical chat will no doubt mention that dull Invernesian fact about it being “the fastest growing city in Europe”. So while you’ll all worrying about your waist line competing with that of a Texan let's exercise our rights to rock out with Highland hospitality in the true spirit of Scotland.