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Information:  The Finale, With Saltire on the Castle More Tattoo Images |
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo began life in 1950 as the Army's contribution to the Edinburgh International Festival, then three years old. The programme comprised just eight items and in the first year there were no stands: the audience watched from the Esplanade itself.
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Stands for spectators first appeared the following year, but have grown since. Those in use today seat some 9,000 people and are constructed from over 10,000m of steel tubing and 20,000 nuts and bolts.
Over the years the Edinburgh Tattoo has gained a reputation for excellence and spectacle that is unmatched anywhere. The first overseas participants were the Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers in 1952, and since then some 40 countries from all parts of the globe have taken part. On average, there are around 1000 participants in the Tattoo each year.
And if the cast list is truly international, so is the audience. Of about 217,000 people who see the Tattoo live each year, some 70% come from outwith Scotland, and of them half are from overseas. A further 100 million watch it each year on TV around the world.
 Edinburgh Castle in Blue |
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 ...in Red |
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 ...and in Undiscovered Scotland Green |
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 Queen Victoria School, Dunblane |
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 Norwegian Guards Band & Drill Team |
The tattoo reflects a military tradition that dates back centuries, to an age when the pipes and drums of regiments stationed in the Low Countries marched through the local town each evening to signal to soldiers that it was time to return to barracks. The word "tattoo" itself is thought to come from the Dutch "doe den tap toe" meaning it was time for innkeepers to "turn off the (beer) taps".
For the audience, the experience begins with the walk up Castle Hill towards the bulk of the stands that loom over the Castle Esplanade. The process of getting 9,000 people into their seats is as slick and well rehearsed as the show itself. Normal performances of the Tattoo are timed to allow full appreciation of the last of the post-sunset light, silhouetting the imposing bulk of Edinburgh Castle. Catch it on the right day and this can itself add dramatically to the spectacle of the event.
The programme for the Tattoo varies from year to year. Images on this page and on the additional page of Tattoo images give an impression of the 2008 show with some additional images from 2003. Some elements are consistent from year to year. The massed pipes and drums of the Scottish regiments, usually incorporating guests from as far afield as Australia, are at the core of any Tattoo. And the show always features a lone piper located high on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle.
Other elements vary from year to year. The 2003 Tattoo, for example, included spectacular displays performed by the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team, the White Helmets, and by the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery. In 2008 there was more focus on music and on marching bands. This offered a little less change of pace during the course of the event, but did allow more, and more varied, musicians and dancers to take part. The changes from year to year ensure the Tattoo never becomes stale and help ensure that many people return time after time.
At the end of each show the Finale brings onto the Esplanade all the performers from that night's event for a climax that includes the taking of the salute. Participants then march down Castlehill before the spectators follow them.
No description, no set of images, and no TV presentation can possibly do justice to the true Tattoo experience. Location, atmosphere and stunning performance combine to form an unforgettable evening's spectacle.
But if you want to see for yourself, be warned: tickets start to sell out quickly once they go on sale the preceding December. See the Tattoo's own website for 2009 booking information.
 Pipers During the Massed Pipes and Drums |
