IT is a groundbreaking Scottish high-tech musical instrument to help disabled people and others who struggle playing traditional instruments make sweet music.

Now the Skoog is to find a global audience after the Edinburgh-based firm behind it signed a deal to have it sold through the online Apple Store.

It means that people will be able to buy the £500 device from anywhere in the world through their mobile phones.

The company, which was only founded four years ago, said the instrument will now be for sale across 21 countries through the portal.

Although the device is already sold overseas in some territories the new deal gives Skoogmusic a far greater reach and visibility.

However there are no plans yet for the Skoog to be stocked in Apple stores on the high street.

Dr Benjamin Schogler, creative director of Skoogmusic and its co-inventor said: "We are delighted that Apple has decided to broaden its musical product ecosystem with an accessible product like the Skoog, making it available online in 21 countries across Europe. Our goal with the Skoog has always been to make music-making as accessible as possible, and through the Apple Store we are now able to bring the Skoog to many more people across the world."

The cube-shaped Skoog, developed in a research project at Edinburgh University and used in some Scottish schools, is about the size of a hand and can plug into a laptop or computer.

Users can touch, press, squash, twist and tap its sides to play sounds from traditional instruments.

The software on the instrument allows people to create musical compositions. The Skoog is also said to link easily into Apple's own music software products such as GarageBand and Logic.