Is duine aitheanta é Ailean i saol an cheoil Ghaelaigh, tá éileamh idirnáisiúnta air mar chumadóir, stiúrthóir ceoil, píobaire, amhránaí agus léachtóir ar cheol Gaelach. Tá bua ag Ailean ceol na píbe (pibroch) a dhéanamh geanúil. Tá tionchar nach beag aige ar ghlúin nua píobairí a spreagadh agus píobaireacht na seachtú haoise déag a thabhairt chun solais. Tá fud fad na cruinne siúlta ag Ailean ag féilte píobaireachta. Bíonn sé ag léachtóireacht ag Acadamh Ríoga Ceol & Drámaíochta na hAlba agus saothar coimisiúnaithe aige go minic do theilifís BBC.

A leading light in the Gaelic musical scene, Ailean is in demand internationally as a composer, musical director, piper, singer and lecturer on Gaelic music. One of his myriad gifts is to make pibroch accessible and lovable. His work as a scholar-performer reuniting seventeenth-century piping with its Gaelic roots is influencing a whole generation of pipers. Ailean has performed at every major Celtic and piping festival on the planet. He lectures on the Scottish Music course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, and has had numerous commissions to compose for BBC television.