I think I can speak for the majority of Scots when I say that artists who wear their Scottishness on their sleeves cause a wee touch of embarrassment among their countryfolk.

All too often, such musicians embody the fake, tartan-heavy sentimentality of a shortbread tin. But while hotly tipped Glaswegian Amy MacDonald displayed a genuine pride in her roots, there was nothing tacky or forced about last night's show.

Whether she was rocking out with her band or holding her own with nothing more than her voice and a guitar, she displayed poise and musicianship that belied her 19 years.

Footballer's Wife was a cheeky acoustic track on which she put the sold-out crowd in a trance with delicate guitar work and haunting, Celtic vocals that owed more to the Cranberries and Sinead O'Connor than to any Scottish songstress.

Another delight was an altogether more positive slant on The Killers' tribute to masculine jealousy, Mr Brightside.

Making good use of a talented backing band, Let's Start A Band had a gutsy country and western feel. Her encore, which was emphatically demanded by a pumped-up crowd included Caledonia, a loving, folk-tinged tribute to Scotland that landed narrowly on the right side of mawkishness.

All this was punctuated by cheery banter revealing an innocent generosity of spirit that's a rare commodity among today's world-weary starlets.

Take it from one who knows: her sweet west coast chatter, like her spirited, straight-from-the-heart lyrical content, was a genuine representation of the feisty, vulnerable loveliness of Scottish womanhood.