Guitarist's Young Trad Musician competition hopes ruined by cooking rice

Luc McNally said he hopes to be "back in the pub playing" soon

An unlucky accident while cooking some rice has forced a finalist for the BBC's Young Traditional Musician of the Year award to pull out of the competition.

Instead of taking to the stage at Glasgow's City Halls on Sunday, guitarist Luc McNally is more likely to be found at home in his flat, resting a plastered arm, drinking milk and taking painkillers.

He shattered his elbow after slipping in his kitchen and had to have an operation to put in a metal plate.

He told the BBC he has also had to cancel other appearances at Celtic Connections and work over the next few months.

Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland radio programme, the musician, who is originally from Dipton in County Durham but lives in Glasgow, said: "I was cooking, draining some rice and I spilt some of the boiling water on my feet and slipped and fell over on to my elbow and shattered it.

"They got rid of all the fragments of elbow and replaced them with a metal plate which is now in my arm in a cast, trying to heal back into place."

Luc was among six finalists in the Young Traditional Musician of the Year competition

The accident couldn't have come at a worse time, as the solo guitarist - who also performs duos and with bands such as Sketch, Snuffbox and Dosca - was warming up for various appearances at the Celtic Connections festival, as well as competing in the Young Trad event.

"I've had to cancel a lot of work," he said.

"I'd been working pretty hard for the Young Trad competition so it's a shame.

"It's quite a lot of anticipation to just get taken away but at least I don't have to deal with the stress of the night anymore."

He was due to appear alongside five other finalists.

'It hurts quite a lot'

Competition organiser, Simon Thoumire from Hands Up for Trad, said there was "disbelief and sadness" at the news of Luc's injury.

"I can't imagine how he's feeling," he said.

"He's very much in demand by the whole scene, Everyone wants to play with him. He's just really good."

But that's not much consolation for Luc as he sits at home in his pyjamas, nursing his elbow.

"It mostly just hurts quite a lot at the moment. I'd rather it didn't. I think I could deal with it a bit better if I could sleep properly," he said.

"It's annoying that I don't have any work and I need to worry about where my money is going to come from for the next while."

Asked if he is able to be philosophical about what has happened, he said: "I might need a little bit more time before I can be a philosophical chap about it. It's alright. I can deal with it.

"It only happened four days ago. I'm sure it will get better gradually."

And in a post on his Facebook page, he was trying to look at the positives like cups of tea, glasses of milk and watching The Wire.

He added: "Thanks to everyone who has dropped by with food and sent messages. I really, really appreciate it. Should be back in the pub playing D incessantly soon enough."