Belle and Sebastian star in Scottish episode of The Simpsons

Their output has featured 12 studio albums, dozens of festival appearances and a slew of critically acclaimed songs.

But renowned indie band Belle and Sebastian have now embarked on their most challenging project yet - providing the soundtrack for The Simpsons' trip to Scotland.

America's most infamous family crossed the Atlantic in the latest episode of the long-running cartoon for the wedding of Groundskeeper Willie.

The gruff school caretaker's marriage to Maisie - voiced by Inverness-born actor Karen Gillan - features a performance by "The Belle and Sebastian Experience".

The song, entitled Willie and the dream of Peat Bogs, bears striking similarities to their 1996 hit Judy and the Dream of Horses.

The band also performs If You Find Yourself Caught In Love at the ceremony itself.

Singer Stuart Murdoch revealed creator Matt Groening was a long-term fan.

And he said the band were only too happy to lend their song writing talents to the episode, Ae Bonny Romance, which features the voice of David Tennant.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: "The Simpsons people got in touch and they gave us an outline of the show..

"We have a song called Judy and the Dream of Horses and they said: 'Can you write us a song like that, except we'll give you a summary of the story and you can work it into the song?'

"We were like, 'come on, Belle and Sebastian, it's not our first picnic, we can do anything'.

"But it's cool. Matt Groening has always been a fan of the band. We went to a table read of The Simpsons about 15 years ago.

"I think when he thought of Scotland, he thought of us, incredibly"

While the episode is yet to air in the UK, it was broadcast in the United States on Sunday.

Fearing Willie to have been kidnapped, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie travel to Scotland - on a Francis Begbie-inspired Planespotting Airlines flight - in order to investigate.

However it later emerges that it was a ploy by the groom to have Springfield's first family at his wedding.

They are soon drawn to exploring some of the country's most famous locations, including the Old Course at St Andrews.

A viral clip of Lisa discovering the array of unique shows available at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has already tickled Scottish audiences on social media.

But Stuart said there was plenty more for eagle-eyed viewers to spot when the episode makes it to UK screens.

He said: "There's a lot of Scottish Easter eggs in the actual show itself. Lisa goes to the Edinburgh festival, there's a dentist called 'Proclaimers dentist' and the sign says 'I would fix 500 smiles'.

"They definitely know Scotland. When I read the script, one of the funniest bits is Lisa going to the Festival."

The band's music has featured in a number of Hollywood productions before.

Seymour Stein had a cameo in High Fidelity, Expectations starred in 2007 hit Juno and The Boy with the Arab Strap, arguably the band's most famous work, featured on the soundtrack to (500) Days of Summer.

Stuart was impressed with the way the song had been incorporated into the story of the episode.

He revealed an animated music video by the show's artists was also on the way.

He said: "We've been in films before. I love it when they use the music well.

"The best thing is the writers actually come to you and say 'here's what we want', rather than someone just plonking it into the middle of something.

"I think it works. We haven't actually seen the whole show. It has only just come out in the States.

"I've seen a clip of the finishing credits and it works really well."