A SCOTS adventurer who lost both his legs when an improvised explosive device blew up while he was serving in Afghanistan has been singled out for praise by Prince Harry as the veteran looks to become the first double amputee to walk to the South Pole.

Sergeant Duncan Slater, 34, from Muir of Ord, is with the British team which had been racing against groups from the Commonwealth and the US on the Walking with the Wounded expedition. The competition was stopped over the weekend after some of the adventurers became exhausted.

The three teams have now banded together and are expected to finish tomorrow.

Prince Harry said that while ­everyone "just can't wait to get to the end", there were some mixed emotions. "I think some people, for instance Duncan, simply don't find walking to the South Pole a big enough challenge, which is why he really enjoyed the race.

"I think everyone back home will appreciate the fact that just being able to walk 100km [62 miles] in these conditions with no legs is a pretty amazing feat in itself."