AN 89-year-old Dunfermline grandad needed no persuasion to play the pipes for the NHS – as he's been keeping his neighbours entertained with daily performances during the lockdown.

David Watson, of Pilmuir Street, stepped out onto his balcony last Thursday for an encore, a rendition of Scotland the Brave alongside his wife, Mary.

Ane he is planning another performance from his balcony tonight (Thursday) at 8 o’clock, when he will play ‘Flower of Scotland’ in support of the NHS.

One of his daughters, Ishbel, said: "Every day at 4pm, he's been playing in the garden for anyone who wants to listen, and if they don't, it's tough, as he's going to play anyway!

"The kids next door love it and they've apparently been running home to hear it."

"He'll be 90 on May 22 and we had a big celebration all planned.

"We were coming over from Sweden, my kids were going to surprise him as they'd booked tickets back from Australia and we'd hired a place near Aberfeldy for a few days, but that's all cancelled now which is a shame.

"So it was really nice to see the video on Facebook of him playing the pipes last night (Thursday) for the NHS.

"It's a lovely clip. The pair of them come totting out onto the balcony, and my mum's acting as if she's the Queen Mother waving to the crowds in the street!"

A piper since he was a boy, David was a piper in the Army and after national service he ran a wholesale grocers, Alstons, in Dunfermline.

Mary was a gym teacher before becoming a housewife and bringing up their three daughters – Ishbel and Fiona, who both stay in Sweden, and Eila, who now lives near Oxford.

The couple have seven grandchildren.

Ishbel added that while her dad's birthday celebrations had been put on hold, the skirl of the bagpipes haven't: "He still pipes away, he played in the Abbey a few months back, which was very well received, and he still goes to a pipers association in Edinburgh every two weeks.

"He used to play at weddings but finds it hard to stand for long, although he's still got plenty of puff!"

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