What do Daleks, Dragons, Bears and Thunderbirds all have in common? That’s right: they’ve all been brought to life on the silver screen thanks to the bagpipe playing of Lorne MacDougall.
Considered by many to be Scotland’s foremost player of the pipes, Lorne is not only an asset to Hollywood as a composer and musician, he’s also an enthusiastic ambassador for Scotland’s thriving tourism sector.
Speaking to us from the east coast of America, where’s he’s currently touring with The Tannahill Weavers, the 33-year-old told us why he’s so proud to be able to promote Scotland’s homegrown hospitality everywhere he goes.
“I was born in and grew up in Kintyre, which is an incredibly beautiful part of Scotland, and it’s a privilege to share the story of my country’s attractions through my music. But it’s not only the natural wonders that make Scotland so appealing to visitors.
“I’ve found the people, especially younger people, who work in tourism and hospitality really do go the extra mile to make everyone feel welcome.”
While it’s Lorne’s mission to welcome his audiences with his diverse repertoire of Scottish music, he recognises his role as an entertainer is supported in many ways by those around him.
“Being a musician means I travel a lot. In fact, I often feel I’m eternally on the move and so my day-to-day life really does depend to a large extent on the quality of the customer service I receive.
“This most often begins with the friendly face of the hotel receptionist and goes on to include the hard work put in by the housekeeping, catering staff and, very often, the events manager.”
This last role can be pivotal when Lorne finds himself playing to huge numbers of invited guests and VIPs.
“It’s true the organisational and people skills of an events manager can make a dream wedding come true or see a corporate event become a catastrophe.
“I remember playing at a prestigious awards ceremony in the main hall of a very famous castle (I’ll not mention which one!) and had to point out to the manager she’d placed the candles right next to an ancient tapestry.
“That certainly could have been curtains for the prizegiving!”
While we can’t all be globetrotting stars, there are many opportunities to truly shine in the world of hospitality, catering and tourism.
So while moviegoers are currently listening to Lorne’s music in Whisky Galore, why not let the world see you’ve got talent with a new role from s1jobs?