Hitlisted, Festival

Edinburgh's festival season kicks off with the Meadows Festival, which offers the best local bands, dance groups, quirky performers and workshops amidst lots of family-friendly activities.

Taking over the West End of Glasgow each year, the festival treats the ears to a great musical line-up, tantalises all the senses with a carnival and delves into the creative depths of local studios and exhibitions with the Hidden Lane Festival.

Back again for year three, this hip young festival spreads its wings to a new city for Margins Aberdeen. Set over two weekends, confirmed acts so far include Robert Newman, FOUND, Alasdair Gray, Christopher Brookmyre, Janice Galloway and more for six days of music, books and debate.

This instalment brings members of the New York House & Ballroom community to Glasgow, along with queer theorists, performance artists, archivists, theologians and filmmakers, to explore Voguing, drag, clubbing, and the politics of race, class and gender.

Taking place in the National Trust's Georgian Harmony Garden, in the heart of Melrose, the Borders Book Festival attracts world-class writers and personalities and also hosts the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction awards. For its tenth year, the festival sees Joanna Lumley and Phyllida Law talk…

The Edinburgh Book Fringe takes place in Word Power Books and brings together writers and activists from around the world for a host of daily events of readings and discussions, all of which are free.

You know this one. Awesome line-ups and awesome location make for one of Scotland's favourite music festivals. 2013's line-up includes Example, Plan B, Fatboy Slim, Madness, Basement Jaxx, The Vaccines, Above & Beyond, Madeon, Bombay Bicycle Club, Ben Howard, Skream, Benga, Ellie Goulding, The Temper Trap, Alabama 3…

The film fest with an environmental conscience marks its third year, curating a UK-wide programme that informs, challenges, inspires and entertains.