What makes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo so special?

It’s not often that you get a chance to sit in a specially built arena with a castle as your backdrop. But that’s what makes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo unique. Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, and magically sits on a hilltop overlooking Scotland’s capital city. With a long rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison and fortress, it is alive with many exciting tales. When you walk up Castle Hill to get to your seats, you will walk in the footsteps of soldiers, kings and queens – and even the odd pirate or two. Though parts of the Castle remain in military use, the castle is now a world-famous visitor attraction and an iconic part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site……while also being the stunning backdrop for The Tattoo.

Did you ever wonder where the term ‘Tattoo’ comes from? Well, it derives from a 17th-century Dutch phrase doe den tap toe ("close the tap"), a signal to tavern owners each night, played by regimental drummers, to turn off the taps of their ale kegs so that the soldiers would go back to their lodgings. With the establishment of modern barracks and full military bands later in the 18th century, the term "tattoo" was used to describe the last duty call of the day, as well as a ceremonial form of evening entertainment especially amongst Scottish regiments. The first public military tattoo in Edinburgh was entitled "Something About a Soldier" and took place in 1949 at the Ross Bandstand in the Princes Street Gardens and the first official Edinburgh Military Tattoo, with eight items in the programme, was the held in 1950 with 6,000 spectators seated in simple bench and scaffold structures around the Castle esplanade.

The Lone Piper has a significant role during the August shows. An iconic silhouette from the top of Edinburgh Castle, they mark the close of festivities and a moment to remember those that came before us. For centuries pipers and drummers have held an important role within the military. Marking calls to action throughout the day, performing at celebrations and keeping morale up during times of conflict. In addition to their daily soldiering duties, a Lone Piper will play their pipes to signify routine commands. Each call has a different tune, that the Battalion will recognise and understand. At the Tattoo, The Lone Piper is a key part of the performance marking a poignant moment of reflection and signifying the end of the night.  In addition to learning music by heart, the piper must have a stomach for heights as they stand hundreds of feet above the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. Before the times of health and safety the role included true jeopardy with pipers standing on a small platform next to a sheer drop. Nowadays, the Lone Piper is securely harnessed to a custom-built platform ensuring their safety at all times.  

From first exploring the medium of large format projections in 2005, the recent state-of-the-art video projection systems now allow the Tattoo to reach new heights in brightness, visibility and creativity – underlining the commitment to bringing the highest production values to the whole Tattoo experience. With the move to video and the greater intensity, the latitude for content has greatly increased. For New Zealand's Lochiel Marching Drill Team the city landmark became Mordor – complete with flowing rivers of lava, fire-breathing dragons, smouldering volcanoes and cracking buildings. For a Battle of Jutland theme, the video complement included 3D battle cruisers and the castle morphed into the engine room of a Dreadnaught battleship. In complete contrast, the US Army Band Europe played against a castle covered in animated stars and stripes and musical notes. The spectacular large-format projections that now grace Edinburgh Castle create a dramatic and dynamic backdrop for the Tattoo each year.

No festival extravaganza would be complete without a fireworks finale, and the Tattoo is no different. But there is actually a big difference because the Tattoo holds a display every night to mark the end of the performance, with the entire cast gathering on the esplanade. For those at the event, this is one of those picture-perfect moments with the fireworks framing the iconic Edinburgh Castle. If you’re not at the Tattoo you can still enjoy the fireworks from nearly anywhere in the city, with most vantage points taken up by those locals who know the best places and the exact times [roughly 90 minutes after the start of each show].