Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2005

Edinburgh Castle Esplanade Spectacular

As someone who has lived in, or near, Edinburgh for the best part of fifty years, and never having seen the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, I was talked into attending this year and was amazed to see what I had been missing for all this time.

The Massed Pipes and Drums

1st Battalion Scots Guards, 1st Battalion Irish Guards, 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 1st Battalion The King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 1st Battalion The Black Watch, 1st Battalion The Highlanders, 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, The Rats of Tobruk, South African Irish Regiment

The sheer presence of the Massed Pipes and Drums defies description. Seeing the photograph, or seeing it on television cannot begin to compare with the real thing. The sound, the proximity, and the visual spectacle have to be experienced directly.

The Imps Motorcycle Team gave a brief, but impressive display of their abilities. They are children aged between 6 and 16 years old and carried out some breath-taking stunts.

Imps Motorcycle Team

Next we saw the Massed Highland Dancers, a visually pleasing display but, musically, not a patch on the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Band. I love Caribbean music and this certainly had my foot tapping.

Massed Highland Dancers

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Spring Dancers and The Highland Dancers from New Zealand

For me, however, the highlight of the evening was The Guard of His Majesty The King of Norway Band and Drill Team. A stunning drill display with heavy rifles complete with razor sharp bayonets requiring precision timing and incredible dexterity. I was so engrossed, I forgot to take any photographs.

The evening was rounded off with a grand finale featuring the full 1,000 strong cast and a firework display from the castle ramparts. There was much more than is mentioned here and if you have never visited the tattoo I would strongly recommend that you do.