The Edinburgh Military Tattoo : WebArticleWorld.com

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo

29.10.2009 | Author: dcollins | Posted in Travel & Leisure

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Edinburgh Military Tattoo largely consists of men in kilts playing the bagpipes, but one trip to this festival event will go a long way in showing you just what men in kilts playing the bagpipes are capable of.

The fact is that the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is as diverse an event as any other. Each year, Edinburgh invites military bands from all over the world to perform for thousands of spectators, and each year the Tattoo gets more and more impressive.

From the thrill of Norwegians performing recreations of the Viking dominance of Scotland to the kitschy tunes of American marching bands - complete with cheerleaders, the Tattoo highlights the true diversity of styles between countries.

What’s more, its position on Edinburgh Castle’s famous esplanade means that gorgeous views of the castle can be enjoyed, with many acts choosing to use the walls as their canvas for projecting light displays during their performances.

The history of the Tattoo is a varied one, and the title comes from the phrase “doe den tap toe” - Dutch for ‘last orders’. The phrase was first encountered by members of the British Army during being stationed in Flanders in the 1740s. The phrase was then adopted by Brits, who took it into their own bars and used the playing of drums, or pipes and drums, as a signal for landlords to turn off their ale kegs. The practice is still used in many pubs today, which toll a small cymbal or ring a bell to signal last orders.

The first Tattoo took place in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens in 1949, but it was not official until the following year, when just eight acts filled the programme. Still, 6,000 people attended the show, which was at the Castle esplanade, and the Tattoo has remained there ever since.

Now drawing crowds of almost 220,000 each year, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a sell out event that has thousands of tourists travelling from all over to enjoy, whether they want to cheer on their own country as it is represented through music and military style performance or just to see how each country presents itself.

If you’re staying in one of the Edinburgh hotels during August, you can rest assured that a trip to the Tattoo will be more than worth your while - just don’t forget a good rain coat!

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.