David Ross's verdict - Four stars

There was lot riding on this appearance, the first night of her first ever live solo tour, but the phenomenon/riddle that is Susan Boyle proved equal to her task in the Highland Capital. Truth be told she blew Eden Court Theatre away.

That wasn't particularly difficult. Goodwill positively flowed from the audience that had packed out the venue. Indeed after a couple of warm up numbers from Lance Ellington of Celebrity Come Dancing fame, they got to their feet at the mere mention of her name. By the time she actually appeared, two thirds were giving her a standing ovation before her first note sounded. They were back up several times through the night.

A voiceover from Britain's Got Talent kicked the evening off and everybody expected her to go straight into I Dreamed a Dream, but that was to come later. Before then, favourites such as Wild Horses and Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and some surprises: Abba's The Winner Takes it All and Burns's Ae Fond Kiss.

The shared memory of that night more than four years ago when she became a near overnight global success would punctuate proceedings, but it was what everybody wanted. When she mimicked the three judges on the show, it went down a bomb.

There was a fragility to her stage presence, but when the first bars of the next song sounded, she was back in charge. Her version of River Deep - Mountain High was utterly compelling, regardless of her being a Tina Turner as unlikely as Lance Ellington's Ike.

Now it is Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow's turn to get on their feet.