Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd has been named ambassador for a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's initiative which aims to encourage young people from poorer communities into further education in the arts.

The Scots star has been named ambassador for the Transitions 20/40 (T20/40) initiative.

He said: "Transitions 20/40 is about providing young people with options.

"If I had this chance as a kid, it would have been a perfect start for me and allowed me to become an actor earlier.

"I had so many great memories of my time at the then RSAMD (now RCS) and feel truly inspired after meeting T20/40 students at. RCS. It's an exciting place to be and has evolved into a dynamic, beautiful arts hub representing Scotland."

Jeffrey Sharkey, principal of the RCS, said: "We are delighted to have Billy, a world-renowned actor and musician, recognise the power of the arts to inform lives and careers.

!We look forward to working closely with him to ensure the message about the creative potential of young Scots, and the potential of projects like Transitions 20/40, is spread across the whole of Scotland.

"By using his own experience and our outstanding teaching, we can work together to help young people achieve their goals and dreams."

The T20/40 programme is part of the Government's priority area for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to 'improve access to higher education for people from the widest possible range of backgrounds'

Murphy Robertson (18), one the RCS's current T20/40 Junior Conservatoire of Music students, said: "I feel Transitions 20/40 has helped me to get where I want to be.

"This opportunity has opened up so many new doors for me. RCS is a diverse place where I have learnt so much from different people and through the different things I have been involved in."

She added: "It's great having Billy Boyd as our ambassador, I can't believe we all got the chance to meet with him and learn from him."