DUBAI, UAE

Dubai picks you up with its electrifying vibe in a wonderfully exciting way. People were welcoming and interested in the bagpipes but, then again, I suppose that’s because the bagpipes come from the Middle East. A lot of the deserts around the gulf are being torn about by dune bashers, campers and a hell of a lot of rubbish. It’s great to see the conservation work being done in Dubai to preserve these areas.

Determined not to give up on his ambition of doing something which combined travel and his love of the pipes, he set himself a new challenge – to become the first person to play them in every country in the world.

Less than three years on, he has played his bagpipes – proudly dressed in his kilt – in 60 countries on his list of 196 sovereign nations.

And while he is in no rush to tick off the remaining 136 countries, he is enjoying every second of “spreading a little Celtic