Dick bowed out last Saturday by leading the massed pipes and drums at the Armed Forces Day Parade in Dundee.

Having played alongside numerous pipe bands during his career — including the Gurkhas, Gordon Highlanders and Canadian Massed Pipes and Drums — it was the first time he had played alongside the Band of Royal Marines.

Dick, who stands 6ft 7½ ins tall, retired from Tayside Police two years ago as the longest-ever serving constable with 36 years service.

Born in St Andrews and brought up in Cupar, Dick was educated at Bell Baxter High School before leaving the town to join Dundee City Police in 1971.

He joined the former Dundee City Police Pipe Band as a tenor drummer in 1974.

Apart from various parades in Dundee, he has led the massed pipes and drums at the Royal Braemar Gathering for 26 years, and at Hampden Park for Scottish Cup finals, Scotland internationals and a Champion League final.

He has also played overseas at music festivals in Brittany in the south of France, Germany, Spain and a police tattoo in Hasselt, Belgium, as well as many other overseas trips.

In 1995, Dick was rewarded for his services with the massed bands of Dundee by being invited to the Queen's Garden Party at Holyrood Palace.

At Braemar in 2006, Dick was called up to the royal box and congratulated for celebrating 25 years leading the massed bands by Her Majesty the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and Prince Charles, who have all attended the Braemar Gathering in the previous years as well.

Dick has also performed in the presence of various Prime Ministers and the King of Spain.

Dick will not be giving up the pipe band world completely, as he is continuing to be drum major and bass drummer for the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band, world famous for having played at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, China in 2008.