Seventeen amateur songwriters including a 12-year-old schoolgirl, an ambulance driver and an ancestor of Robert Burns are set to have their music performed for the first time following a competition to find national songwriting talent. Pauline Meikleham, from Monifeith in Angus has written a song called 'Ignited Nation' which is her response to Scottish national identity in the wake of devolution. Pauline, a Creative Links Officer said: "It's a tongue in cheek version of "my Scotland", a place of tangled cultural roots, humour and poetry, where anything is possible if we all just stopped moaning about our history and embraced our present time."

The hopefuls were cherry-picked from 800 entrants to join some of Scotland's best songwriters at the music festival Burnsong. The songs will be performed professionally and broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland.

Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson, who launched the competition on Burns' Day this year, said: "In the lead up to the 250th anniversary of Burns' birth in 2009, Burnsong offered anyone living anywhere in Scotland, the chance to celebrate Burns' lasting legacy. The richness and depth of the music that has emerged is testament to the wealth of culture talent that exists in Scotland.

"Burns' work has touched people throughout the world, and the winning songs show that Scotland is still producing talent with the potential to reach across continents.

"The search for national songwriting talent will continue in 2007 and 2009, during the Year of Homecoming Festival to celebrate Burns' birth - when thousands of overseas visitors will be able to learn more about Scotland's rich cultural heritage both past and present."

Dumfries and Galloway’s Community Worker Alison Burns and ancestor of Robert Burns, said: "Winning Burnsong is great as there are few opportunities for songwriters to showcase their work nationally."

The Big Gig – was broadcast on Wednesday 30th November on Radio Scotland's Ian Anderson show and follows a week of musical events in Robert Burns' home-town of Dumfries. This was organised by Burnsong creators Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association, to celebrate the poet and songwriter's life and work, featuring stars such as Aberfeldy, Sophie Bancroft and Nikki King.