The Ayrshire-born violinist has arrived at the Gleneagles Hotel less than an hour before and, running late, has wolfed down a room service meal in lightning fashion. She is still swallowing the last few bites and wiping non-existent crumbs from her face as she ushers me inside, apologising for being so disorganised.

It feels rather incongruous to see Benedetti in a state of semi-disarray, having grown so used to the ubiquitous glam image of her dressed up to the nines, playing in grand music halls and wowing the crowd with her inimitable style. Still, it strikes me that an off-duty Benedetti might be good fun. Watching her perform on stage, it can sometimes feel like there is an impenetrable bubble surrounding her, her focus on nothing but the task at hand: playing to perfection.

Today, though, with an audience of one (make that two if you include her publicist sitting quietly in the corner) she is more relaxed, although that’s not to say her steely focus has slipped. Benedetti is a woman who knows exactly what she wants to say, selecting her words with precision. While chatty, she is well practised in the art of interviews – and she has a knack of turning almost every question back to music, making steering her on to other topics no mean feat.

Within the next week Benedetti, 22, will headline the BBC’s Proms in the Park at Glasgow Green and release her fourth album, Fantasie. But for now, I’m more interested in what she does when not playing the violin.

She’s not really the sort of person you see hanging off the arms of rock stars or falling out of nightclubs. I’m curious about her clean-cut image. Can she really be so well behaved?

Benedetti gives a sheepish little nod. “I’m very boring – sorry,” she says. What was the last wild thing she did? A long pause follows. “What’s wild?” she says, wrinkling her nose. “I really have done nothing. I have been in Vienna, practising about six hours a day, occasionally going out for dinner, watching a few films,

actually, no, watching one film in a week ...”

She laughs but her expression belies the fact that, on some level, she hates the goody-goody tag. When preparing to interview Benedetti, the single word I heard to describe her most is “nice” – hardly the most exciting endorsement. After all, who wants to be labelled pleasing, agreeable, delightful and good when you can be vivacious, feisty, determined and spirited. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and it soon transpires Benedetti is a complicated hybrid of all of the above. Workaholic and perfectionist are two labels she probably wouldn’t object to either. She has an unwavering drive and exceptional musical talent.

Benedetti is certainly a tough cookie. Having been in the public eye since the age of 15, when her star first began to ascend, she has grown adept at taking the rough with the smooth. “With any home-grown talent you get built up so much it’s boring for people to write again that you did well,” she says easily. She has also had to weather the scorn from so-called music purists who turned up their noses at her popularising classical music. Benedetti pulls a face, looking incredulous. “I have to laugh at that,” she says, “What the hell can be bad about that? I’m playing good music and am serious about what I do.”

Has she been hurt in the past by bad reviews? “If you get a bad review it is never pleasant,” she says, with a little shrug. “You have to develop an unbelievable resilience and belief in what you are doing. It doesn’t mean it’s not upsetting, but the people who survive are the ones who still see their vision as the most important thing. I have the belief in my future and musical ability to push these things aside.”

Born and brought up in West Kilbride, Benedetti is the youngest daughter of millionaire businessman Gio and his wife Francesca. She started playing the violin aged four, famously crying throughout her first lesson. At nine, her budding talent was spotted by the great violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, who invited her to apply for his school for gifted musicians in Surrey. When he died in 1999, Benedetti was chosen to play at Menuhin’s funeral and the memorial concert to celebrate his life.

Aged 15, she left the school – against the wishes of her parents and teachers – to devote all of her time to playing the violin. Studying under Polish violinist and professor at the Royal College of Music in London, Maciej Rakowski, she practised at least six or seven hours a day. A year later she won the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2004 playing Szymanowski’s First Violin Concerto. Benedetti picked up a £1m, six-album deal with Deutsche Grammophon. Since then she has racked up a prodigious number of honours and accolades, including playing for the Queen at the inaugural opening of the Scottish Parliament, performing at the Glastonbury festival, accompanying top orchestras across the world including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Berlin Philharmonic, and scooping a classical Brit Award.

While an increasingly well-known name, Benedetti blanches at the notion of being labelled a celebrity. “No way,” she says, her voice a barely audible whisper. “Most celebrity culture is completely ludicrous. When people are celebrated for being the best at something, it’s a wonderful thing. When they are celebrated for having been on TV, that’s a scary, terrible thing.” Isn’t the world of classical music becoming more glamorous, though? “There are a lot of women playing now – and also a lot of attractive women,” says Benedetti. “We are allowed to play now,” she adds, pointedly. “We are allowed to lead orchestras and be soloists, we don’t have to stay at home, we have the chance to learn just as men do – and we are also good at it.”

Benedetti is only too aware of the pitfalls of being seen as an entity to be packaged. “When you meet business people they see an item they can capitalise on and sell,” she admits. “That can be a little bit disturbing because it means you are made to be a product that fits into lots of different categories. I try to keep as far away from that as possible. On one hand you have to understand the industry and how things sell, but on the other hand never let it affect your judgment or the core of what you do. For me it is not about selling as much as possible, it’s making sure I produce good quality music.”

Asked if she herself feels pressure to look as well as sound good, Benedetti gives a short sigh, before throwing a grin and saying: “More from my mum saying, ‘Make sure you wash your hair often enough,’” she says. “I turn up to rehearsals wearing whatever I feel comfortable in. To care an awful lot about how you look takes a lot of time and I just don’t have that time. It’s not my first interest. Even when it comes to choosing my concert dresses, I like wearing nice ones but I try to get it done as quickly as possible.”

Still, I’m curious as to whether starting out, Benedetti felt she perhaps didn’t get the critical acclaim she deserved because of a preoccupation some people had with her looks. She gives another little shrug. “Definitely not so much because of my looks. That’s far too specific,” she says. “I would say, though, maybe because of my sudden enforced popularity after the Young Musician of the Year, I think there were some concerts I did that were definitely reviewed unfairly, but I can also understand why. I was getting all this sudden attention.”

Perhaps people felt she should earn her stripes over time? “Fair enough, I am working my way up,” she says, with a slight edge of annoyance. “I’m never going to get a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic without being able to play well enough. It just doesn’t work that way. It’s a really healthy and humbling part of the classical music industry that there is a hierarchy where you have to prove yourself through playing and nothing else. Popularity and being an audience puller can help, but only on quite a small scale. If I ever felt I was only getting invitations through being popular as opposed to being good enough, I wouldn’t be able to cope with that. It’s just not the type of person I am.”

What does she make of bands like Britain’s Got Talent finalists, Escala, a leggy and glamorous electric string quartet whose self-titled debut album reached number two in the UK album charts in May. “Actually my sister lives with one of the girls.” she says. “I don’t know what the other three are like but she is lovely. They are making a success of what they do. It’s not classical music, but good on them for doing what they are doing.” Benedetti’s elder sister, Stephanie, 26, is also a violinist and plays in a string quartet called Raven. “They are a classical quartet – they don’t play electric instruments,” clarifies Bendetti. “They do their own arrangements of classical pieces.”

When the topic of sibling rivalry is raised, Benedetti remains unruffled. “There is sibling rivalry in every family regardless of whether you are playing the same instrument or not,” she says. “It’s a completely normal thing. We are as close as two peas in pods. We live literally five minutes away from each other and support each other in what we do. We both play the violin, but we are not both trying to be soloists or do the exact same thing. We have very different characters. My sister loves being surrounded by people, whereas I am quite happy working away on my own. We do play together, but only at fun things like weddings and family occasions. We have to get the violins out at Christmas and play for everyone. I don’t know if we will play together professionally; maybe one day.”

Starting out, Benedetti was hailed by many as the “next Vanessa Mae” – the British violinist who rose to fame in the nineties for her pop-edged playing style – a comparison which never fails to get her hackles up. These days up-and-coming violinists are being compared in their droves to Benedetti, how does she feel about setting the benchmark and people trying to fit into her mould? “Oh, I’m quite good at keeping out of what’s said generally,” she says, a smile playing on her lips. “I’d like to think I set an OK example. It’s something people have to do, though, put labels on people to help other people understand who they are. Me being compared to Vanessa Mae is one of the most ridiculous. She has nothing to do with what I do – and vice versa – apart from we both play the violin.”

Mae famously appeared in a music video wearing a wet T-shirt. It’s difficult to imagine Benedetti doing anything so risque – or crass. Is it true she was approached by a lads’ magazine to do an adult glamour shoot? “I was asked to do something, I can’t remember what it was now,” she says, deliberately vague. “It was so ridiculous the person who took the call about it only told me a couple of months later, saying: ‘Can you believe you were asked to do this?’ Anything that has nothing to do with music, most of the time I’m not even told about because they know the answer will be no.”

Benedetti has reportedly turned down potentially lucrative promotional deals in the past to “stay focused and serious”. She says: “In my opinion you need to have a reason to do everything, and what would be my reason?” Wouldn’t she be tempted to do a photo shoot if it was tastefully done, perhaps with Annie Leibovitz behind the camera? “I would never say, ‘Oh, I’ll never do this’ or ‘I’ll never do that’ because I don’t know how I’m going to feel when I’m older, and things do change as you grow up.”

Benedetti has found herself in the fortunate position of being able play a Stradivarius 1714 violin, on loan from American banker Jonathan Moulds, valued at £2m. “If I had to play something else I would, but I love this instrument to bits,” she says.

“There are very few violinists who wouldn’t enjoy playing this instrument.” How different would her sound be if she played on another violin now? “Every violinist has their sound and within a couple of minutes what you hear is the sound of the player and not the sound of the violin,” she explains. “I think to most people’s ears, you wouldn’t notice the difference. For instance, when I was trying this violin I was comparing it to my sister’s violin and to the violin I had before, and my dad could not tell the difference. He does not understand why one is 50 times the price of the other. It’s more what the instrument makes you be able to do and there is real magic in this one.”

She mentions winning the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year twice during our meeting and when I remind her it’s five years since she won, Benedetti’s eyes widen. “Oh my God, is it?” she exclaims. “I’m not sure it seems like five years. I’m having a bit of a crisis that I’m 22 to be honest.” She laughs. “I loved being 21 – don’t write that down. I loved being 21 and now 22, oh my God, it’s just straight to 30 now.” Maybe she’s having a quarter-life crisis. “What early? I don’t know,” says Benedetti, grinning.

She has talked about taking time out to do something completely different when she is 26 or 27. “I think what I said was when I was more like 30, if I decide I want to have a family, then I hope I will have built up some sort of security where I don’t need to be working all the time.”

She says 30 with the same tone and emphasis most people reserve for the ripe old age of 70, which reminds you just how young Benedetti was when her journey began – and how much she has accomplished by the tender age of 22.

Speaking of settling down and relationships, is she dating anyone at the moment? “I am, yup. I have been with someone for quite a long time now,” she says. Is this the same person she described as her soulmate a couple of years ago? “I don’t know,” says Benedetti, a frown furrowing her brow, before hurriedly interjecting. “By that, I mean I don’t know what I was saying about a soulmate, but it would have been the same person, yeah.” Does she want to elaborate on it? She shakes her head. “Not really, just that I’m really happy.”

Why is she so protective of that area of her life, is it important to hold something back? “What, from people knowing? I actually think more of a deal is made of it if I say: ‘I’m not telling you.’ Ach, I don’t think there is much to be said about it. It’s a private thing.”

Do she and her partner both work in the same area? “Musicians, yeah,” she says. Later, after I have switched off the tape recorder, she mentions in passing her boyfriend is a huge film buff, her eyes sparkling happily as she recounts an anecdote about his knowledge of movies.

When asked about her big ambitions, she reels off a list. The next four years, she says, will be focused on building and consolidating her reportoire, then she would like to be able to spend more time doing charity work across Scotland.

“Some musicians get very carried away with the lifestyle of being a soloist but I would like to see myself being able to do a lot in Scotland, with charity and helping music grow, when I’m older and have more time,” she says.

The price of sacrifice, however, has been high. Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for Benedetti to stay indoors on family holidays practising her violin while everyone else was down on the beach. Doesn’t she ever get frustrated?

A palpable sigh creeps into her voice. “I never get frustrated,” she says. “What do you mean, frustrated, like I haven’t lived or something? I like having structure to my life and discipline. I would get even more frustrated if I didn’t have that constant stimulation.”

Equally, she is on the defensive when it is suggested her absorption in music may have held her back from other areas of life. “I don’t really understand how life is not enjoyable if you have a daily discipline,” she says.

“I think that is only a positive thing. I look at a lot of young people who don’t have anything physical to do because they buy all their food ready made, they don’t have anything really to do at home and have too much time on their hands. I think it’s the most miserable teenagers have ever been. Too much time causes problems that shouldn’t be there. As humans we are made to have to do something every day. I never had any rebellious stage or any huge ups and downs all the way through being a teenager – and I don’t see it coming either.”

Do you know what? I believe her. As I’m leaving, a word pops into my head: nice. Benedetti really is. Just don’t underestimate her.

Michael Tumelty’s verdict on Fantasie

There is a subtle but striking change in Nicola Benedetti’s violin playing and the evidence is all over her new album Fantasie, a collection of violin showcase pieces with a strong, popular, gipsy flavour and a set of musical evergreens, including the Lark Ascending and Massenet’s Meditation.

It’s not that she’s playing better: she has been this good for years. And it’s not simply natural growth or development, though these are in the equation too. The fact is that, about 18 months ago, Benedetti went out in search of a new teacher.

Why did she feel she needed a teacher? “I wasn’t happy,” she says. “There were certain things in my playing that I knew I had to improve. I knew I needed time and a little bit of guidance.”

So she found two teachers: violinists Pavel Vernikov and Julian Rachlin. Vernikov, she said, is “very open, intuitive and very free: he gets things going inside you that are not necessarily in your mind. Julian is the absolute opposite. He’ll think a million things about every single note. They complement each other, and, for me, the combination is perfect.”

The influence and impact of the two teachers has been immense, and is reflected in Benedetti’s playing, whether it’s in the buccaneering élan of the gipsy-inspired numbers, or the bewitching composure and control of her playing in Arvo Part’s mesmerising little heart-stopper, Spiegel im Spiegel.

One of the great strengths in her playing on the Fantasie album is that she actually sounds more connected, plugged in directly to the music, whereas, often in the past, despite the brilliance and musicianship, she sometimes sounded almost a little self-conscious.

She doesn’t disagree. “What’s so amazing is that when you start to work on certain things, you find that what you’re actually doing is tearing away all the things that are in between you and the music. And that’s what I didn’t quite grasp before.”

She grasps it now. “The new CD is still quite at the beginning of this stage, but I think you can hear a big difference between this one and the CD before.”

She says she’s at ease with herself in all aspects of her life and you can hear that confidence throughout the new album.

Fantasie is out now. Proms in the Park, featuring Nicola Benedetti, takes place on Glasgow Green on Saturday.