Actress Kelly Macdonald has returned to her home town to make a special visit to youngsters in hospital.

The star visited patients and their families at the Royal Hospital for Children in her native Glasgow.

The mother of two made the visit as part of her role as an ambassador for the Yorkhill Children's Charity and said she was "delighted" to be able to help their cause.

She also backed the charity's Christmas appeal, which aims to raise £150,000 for a state-of-the-art 4D cardiac scanner.

Macdonald said: "I am delighted to be supporting the Little Hearts Appeal this Christmas.

"Yorkhill Children's Charity always go that extra mile to make sure the hospital is as special as it can be at this time of the year, with lots of fun activities and games.

"I would encourage everyone to help support children and their families who are patients at the Royal Hospital for Children this Christmas and beyond."

Macdonald has been nominated for a number of individual awards, including her voice performance as Princess Merida in Disney's Brave and her roles in Trainspotting and No Country For Old Men.