My home, Scotland, is better known for its whisky, haggis and kilt-wearing men than for its tunnels, of which there are very few. However, I am rather fond of all of these, the first two for pure enjoyment and the third for never-ending stimulation and challenge. My software (ThermoTun) has been widely used for simulating pressure disturbances in high-speed railway tunnels and my control software for road tunnel ventilation has stood the test of time in Japan. Also, in the 1990s and 2000s, I ran a series of international conferences on tunnel safety. In short, a ‘Jack-of-all-trades, and a master of none’, but a happy chappie nonetheless.