SHEENA Wellington, the singer and broadcaster known for her rendition of A Man's a Man for A' That at the opening of the Scottish Parliament, is the new board member of Scotland's Cultural Commission.

Ms Wellington will take the place previously held by Craig Armstrong, the Scottish composer, who resigned from the eight-strong team in June after discovering he was the only working artist on its board.

Last night, Wellington also said she wished there were more artists on the board.

However, she added that she was hopeful the work of the commission, which is led by James Boyle, the former chairman of the Scottish Arts Council, would provide the ideas to create a new cultural climate in Scotland by 2025.

''I'd have loved it to have been full of artists, it would have been nice. But the others on the board are far from being an un-artistic bunch,'' she said.

''I am in a fortunate position compared to other artists because I have the time in my schedule to make this commitment, but I know it is difficult for others to find that time.

''I'd have loved for there to be half a dozen artists, sculptors and poets, but we are working in a way so that artists can still give their views - my role is to listen to what people are telling me.''

Wellington's appointment comes after a number of supporters of the traditional arts, including the MSPs Robin Harper, Rob Gibson and Cathy Peattie, lobbied Mr Boyle for her inclusion after Armstrong's resignation.

She said the commission was determined to look at the long term ''big picture'' in its work in the coming months. An interim report by the commission is expected in October before its final conclusions next June.

''We need something with a long-term vision so it is not just a sticking plaster,'' she said.

''I was initially daunted by this post, but if it works the way we expect it to, then it is also an incredibly exciting time.

''I'd love to see a Scotland by 2025 where it is taken for granted that children can go to school and take up music or painting or sculpture and follow it all the way through their education and lives.''

Mr Boyle said: ''Sheena Wellington is a first-class addition to the commission.

''Her experience of the arts and culture is vast and spans different styles and audiences, she will bring new ideas to the commission and we all welcome her appointment.''

The Cultural Commission has now completed establishing its offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Stirling, Dundee, Inverness and

Dumfries.