Downhill Downtown

Where: Nevis Centre, Fort William, Fri 8 & Sat 9 Jun, downhilldowntown.com
Price: Weekend: £17.50. Fri: £6. Sat: £15.
Line-up: The Phantom Band, King Creosote, Admiral Fallow, Homework, Bwani Junction, Little Kicks
Expect freewheeling adventures of a sporting and a musical stripe as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup takes to Fort William, and a veritable pop throng of ear-pleasing easy riders lead the party into the night. The List does not endorse crowd surfing on a BMX, as per the Downhill Downtown poster, but a weekend of fitness and hot alt-pop stars sounds like a ball. (Nicola Meighan)

Insider Festival

Where: Inshriach House, Aviemore, Fri 15–Sun 17 Jun, insiderfestival.com
Price: Weekend: £80. Fri: £25. Sat: £30. Sun: £30.
Line-up: Optimo ft. Den Haan (live), Stanley Odd, Three Blind Wolves
In line with this year’s Olympic Games, which will descend on the UK like a big sweaty behemoth, Insider fest is cashing in with some egg and spoon triathlons, cabbage tossing events and traditional tug o’ wars. The musical athletes also offer fierce competition: electro-synth-pop folks at Optimo collaborate with likeminded Organs of Love and Den Haan, with electronica fave Miaoux Miaoux stopping in. Hip hop/electronic artist Profisee plays on the Saturday, while Scottish chill-out darlings Admiral Fallow and Rachel Sermanni calm the final day. (Andrew Latimer)

Kelburn Garden Party

Where: Kelburn Castle, Largs, Sat 30 Jun & Sun 1 Jul, kelburngardenparty.com
Price: Weekend: £65
Line-up: The Phantom Band, Submotion Orchestra, DJ Food, The Banana Sessions, Washington Irving, Boom Monk Ben, Miaoux Miaoux
Boundaries be damned at Kelburn Garden Party, where a broad church of bands, solo performers, DJs and street artists will meet in the grounds of a partly graffi tied 16th century castle for a weekend of colourful genre-mashing entertainment. Art-rock sextet The Phantom Band and dubstep-electronica-souljazz ensemble Submotion Orchestra are the suitably contrasting headliners. The rest of the bill yields all from an audio-video set by DJ Food to samba groups, ska bands and sensitive singer-songwriter types. (Malcolm Jack)

T in the Park

Basics: Balado by Kinross, Fri 6–Sun 8 Jul, tinthepark.com
Price: Weekend: £179 (campsite tickets available separately). Day: £70–£77.50.
Line-up: The Stone Roses, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, New Order, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Nicki Minaj
Ever since it started almost two decades ago, The Stone Roses have been your average T punter’s dream special. Well this year they’re finally headlining Saturday night, which is cause for both wild celebration and to overlook the predictable nature of fellow headliners Snow Patrol and Kasabian. Further down the bill and in the ever-reliable Slam Tent, though, the bill is broader and more varied than ever. (David Pollock)

Away Game

Where: Isle of Eigg, Highlands, Fri 20–Sun 22 Jul, fencerecords.com
Price: £140 (sold out).
Line-up: TBC
If it’s a small, independent antidote to the mammoth likes of T that you seek, you’ll fi nd none better than Fence Records’ Away Game. Held on the far-flung Isle of Eigg, the festival returns for only its second instalment following a legendary 2010 debut. The yet-to-be-announced line-up promises a familiar mix of Fence stalwarts and friends plus a few surprises. With a tiny capacity down in the hundreds, tickets are long sold-out, but if you’re lucky enough to have snapped one up already you’re in for an experience to treasure in an epic setting. (Malcolm Jack)

Wickerman

Where: East Kirkcarswell near Dundrennan, Fri 20 & Sat 21 Jul, thewickermanfestival.co.uk
Price: Weekend: £95–£110. Saturday £62–£75. Children free.
Line-up: Scissor Sisters, Texas, The View (pictured), Levellers, Mike Skinner (DJ), Bis
The only music festival in the UK with its own mock pagan rite at the end, Dumfries & Galloway’s Wickerman once more enjoys one of the most eclectic line-ups of the year, including guitar-laden crowdpleasers Texas, The View and Cast, old-stagers The Blockheads and Bad Manners, and Scots favourites Bis and Human Don’t Be Angry (Malcolm Middleton). Special guests Scissor Sisters provide an unexpected Wickerman-burning soundtrack. (David Pollock)

The Big Tent

Where: Home Park, Falkland, Sat 21 & Sun 22 Jul, bigtentfestival.co.uk
Price: Weekend: £45. Day: £30 (both admit one adult and up to two children). Group camping packages: £65–£175.
Line-up: The Proclaimers (pictured), Salsa Celtica, Treacherous Orchestra, Karine Polwart, Woodenbox, Federation of the Disco Pimp
Making a very welcome return after a year off, this two-day event in the shadow of East Lomond offers much more than just music. Local boys The Proclaimers headline a healthy two-stage bill of folkslanted Scots sounds, while the festival’s strong environmental ethic is typified by the wide selection of local food producers operating stalls. (David Pollock)

Belladrum

Where: Beauly, Inverness-shire, Fri 3 & Sat 4 Aug, tartanheartfestival.co.uk
Price: £95.
Line-up: Travis, The Wombats, Frightened Rabbit, Beverley Knight, Lianne La Havas, Lanterns on the Lake
You’re guaranteed at least one big Scottish headliner every year at this most tartan of festivals – in 2012 it’s indie-rockers of a 90s vintage Travis who lead the bill. But Belladrum’s about so much more than the music, with a welcoming family-friendly atmosphere, theatre and spoken word events, ceilidhs, arts and crafts workshops and a fancy dress theme lending the weekend a uniquely fun, creative and inclusive flavour. (Malcolm Jack)

Doune the Rabbit Hole

Where: Duncarron Court, Carron Valley, Fri 24–Sun 26 Aug, dounetherabbithole.co.uk
Price: Weekend: £78 (with camping). Day: £30. Under-12s free
Line-up: Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat, King Creosote, Withered Hand, Josie Long, Pram, Jeffrey Lewis, Kid Canaveral, Hidden Orchestra, Holy Mountain, Sparrow & the Workshop, Blurt
Now in its third year, Doune the Rabbit Hole’s not-for-profit ethos embraces the magic of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Look out for mad hatters, local potions, community spirit, cross-platform art and grassroots excellence. Added to all of that, the band line-up is a premium collection of Scottish musical talent. Note the later date this year – the organisers have made the leap from June to August. (Nicola Meighan)

Music Language

Where: SWG3, Glasgow, Sat 1 Sep, Kinning Park Complex, Glasgow, Sun 2 Sep, facebook.com/tracertrails
Price: £8 early-bird weekend tickets available soon from wegottickets.com and Monorail Music. Then £10 weekend / £6 day passes.
Line-up: TBC
It’s too early to have the line-up confirmed, but if last year’s weekend celebration of the local, the avant-garde and the experimental was anything to go by, the team of independent DIY promoters Cry Parrot and Tracer Trails should deliver something enticing. And in the city. And cheap. Last year they put on Richard Youngs, Ben Butler & Mousepad, Ali Roberts, Cut Hands, Muscles of Joy and others – keep an eye on Facebook for updates. (Claire Sawers)