SCOTS fans flocked to Edinburgh’s city centre as viral YouTube star IShowSpeed visited the capital – wrapping up his appearance with a cringeworthy bagpipe performance on the Royal Mile.
Speed – real name Darren Watkins – has gained notoriety over the past two years through streaming video games, where he showcases his over-the-top personality and infatuation with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 18-year-old has since gained a cult following and was in the UK to take part in the Sidemen Charity Football Match alongside fellow YouTubers, but stopped off in Edinburgh for a visit first.
In his whirlwind tour of the Scots capital yesterday, the streamer from Cincinnati, Ohio kitted himself out in a full kilt, before playing the bagpipes for swathes of his clamouring Scottish fans.
Speed’s livestream video begins with him stopping off at a kiltmaker on the Royal Mile to get suited and booted, before setting off to see the sights.
Clad in a black jacket and red tartan kilt, Speed can subsequently be seen making his way down to North Bridge, where he is quickly swarmed by fans looking for selfies.
Stopping outside Waverley Station, he joins a group of buskers to showcase his rapping skills, dancing alongside tourists and admirers who formed an audience just off Edinburgh’s Princes Street.
As he makes his way back up the Royal Mile, Speed makes for Edinburgh Castle, generating a huge group of fans following his every move.
Seduced by the sound of music, Speed careers to the side of the street to take in the atmosphere provided by one of Edinburgh’s many kilted pipers.
In an incredible twist, Speed shocks his fans by taking out his own set of bagpipes and beginning to play amongst the crowd.
Despite his best efforts, the American can’t quite get the hang of the pipes, blaming the untuned performance on a “hole” in the instrument.
Lasting nearly 90 minutes in total, Speed’s whirlwind tour of the city soon comes to a close, as he hops in a car to leave the capital.
In a grim turn of events though, Speed’s young fans soon become a problem, hammering on the side of his vehicle and opening the doors in an attempt to climb in.
As he eventually manages to pull away, groups of fans can be seen following his car, with some even jumping on top of the car.
Despite this, the teen seems unfazed, ending his livestream as he laughs: “I never knew Scotland was this lit.”
Speed currently boasts over 20 million youTube subscribers, and was named Breakout Streamer of the Year in 2022 at the 12th Streamy Awards.
Last month however, he racked up 5.8 million views on a video he shared of himself in a Tokyo hospital, where he was admitted after he “almost died” following a sinus infection and “deadly headache”
After undergoing a “spinal tap procedure” for his cluster headaches, Speed appears to have bounced back, and is set to feature at the Sidemen Charity Match on Saturday.
