Melissa Steel

The student's guide to exploring Scotland

There's a whole lot to see in Scotland beyond the university towns

Exploring your university town is an essential part of the student experience. However, once you’ve done the local tourist trail and sussed out the best bars and restaurants, you might hunger for another adventure. Luckily, Scotland has many…

T in the Park 2012: What to eat

A guide to some of the tastier treats in store for T attendees

Health conscious partiers can take advantage of local Perthshire berries on sale in the Healthy T area. Other Scottish artisan produce will be on sale from Argyll-based producers, giving Balado an unexpectedly farmers' market-y vibe. So, you may lose a…

5 Things: T in the Park anthems

Five songs that'll get the crowd moving, featuring The Stone Roses, Major Lazer and Nicki Minaj

1 The Stone Roses – ‘Elephant Stone’ Reni may have left the band by T time, but if not, this drum intro will be killer. 2 Major Lazer – ‘Pon De Floor’ Prepare yourself for some vulgar and enthusiastic ‘daggering’ (see instructional video at…

T in the Park 2012 - Glamping it up

Luxury accomodation options at Scotland's biggest music festival

Alhough many won’t be intending to do much sleeping at this year’s T in the Park, there are plenty of places to hit the hay, catering to all budgets and tastes, should you hit a wall of tiredness. While you can pitch your own tent, Tangerine Fields will…

Elliot Gould and Jim Broadbent to appear at Edinburgh International Film Festival

The stars will head juries for the festival's competitive categories

We knew the film line-up, and now we know who the jury judges are for the 2012 EIFF. Announced today, the list includes talent such as Elliot Gould, Jim Broadbent and Ewen Bremner. Academy Award winner Broadbent is excited about assuming his new role…

Top 5 actors playing against type

5 roles that challenged expectations, in honour of Matthew McConaughey's menacing turn in Killer Joe

This year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival sees Killer Joe come to our screens. Matthew McConaughey stars in the titular role, playing a hitman with a twisted moral code. For an actor whose most difficult challenge to date has arguably been…

Interview: Amy Macdonald prepares to play 'Five a Day for the Kids'

At only 24 years of age, Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald has had a UK Number One single and sold four million albums. Known for her originality as well as her versatility, Amy has developed a following with self-penned tracks such as 'This is…