A leading Scottish chef who has been deaf since birth has risen up the ranks to become executive head chef at a hotel on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Bruce Price has cooked all over the world from Australia to Switzerland, China and Taiwan, since his early days in his native New Zealand.

Now he is tackling his biggest role yet at Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club.

The chef has been deaf since birth, but says it has been something which he's never allowed to hold him back.

"I have never, ever let my deafness restrict my ambition to become a great chef," he said

"I have never seen it as a disadvantage."

During his time in Scotland, Bruce has won the highly acclaimed 'Scottish Chef of the Year' title three times and worked for top establishments such as The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews and Crieff Hydro Hotel.

Responsible for a team of 24, Bruce communicates in the kitchen using a number of different tools, but staff mostly take directions thanks to spoken cues and lip reading.

"While the day's business is written out on a whiteboard every morning, communication in the kitchen is mostly verbal, with me lip-reading and staff quickly learning to understand my spoken instructions," Bruce says.

"It's a slightly different way of working for the team here, but I'm sure it won't be long before my new team and I get to know each other."

Bruce has a love of Scottish produce and his cooking reflects locally sourced items.

"I'm passionate about good ingredients used well.

"I'm all about using and sourcing Scottish produce in my menus, an ethos which Dalmahoy also shares, so I felt we would be a good match," he says.

Alistair Kinchin, general manager at the hotel said: "We're really pleased to welcome Bruce to our team here at Dalmahoy.

"We've worked hard to cement our culinary reputation in Edinburgh, and as a three-time Scottish Chef of the Year, it's a real coup to have enticed Bruce to join us.

"Bruce's stewardship heralds exciting times ahead for Dalmahoy as a food destination."