Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a show given by military bands and display teams. It takes place in the Scottish capital Edinburgh annually, at the same time as the Edinburgh Festival. The Tattoo began in 1950 with just 8 items in the programme.

Related Topics:
Military band - Scottish - Edinburgh - Edinburgh Festival - 1950

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The word "tattoo" comes from the last order and closing time shouts in Dutch, or horn signals, meaning "Doe den tap toe", or just "tap toe", heard across The Netherlands in the 18th and 19th Century, and which means "turn off the taps".

Related Topics:
Dutch - The Netherlands - Tap

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Each year, on average, just over 200,000 people see the Tattoo live at Edinburgh Castle, and a further 100 million see the event on television. Of those that see the Tattoo live, 30% of the audience are from Scotland, 35% from the rest of the United Kingdom and 35% from overseas.

Related Topics:
Edinburgh Castle - Scotland - United Kingdom

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International military regiments and even African tribes have performed at the Tattoo over the years. The first regiment from outside the UK to take part was the Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers in 1952. So far, over 30 countries have been represented at the Tattoo.

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The Tattoo is run for charitable causes and over the years has gifted over UK£5 million to military and civilian charities and organisations. However, the greater benefit has been that it has, by independent count, generated an additional £72 million for the Scottish economy.

Related Topics:
Charitable - UK£

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Although there are several different displays, the highlight is the massed pipes and drums, provided by regiments of the British Army and regiments from around the world with Scottish connections. The 2005 Tattoo saw the largest gathering of pipes and drums in the event's history, with the pipes and drums of all seven Scottish infantry regiments:

Related Topics:
British Army - 2005

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• Scots Guards
• Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)
• Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment
• King's Own Scottish Borderers
• Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
• The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)
• Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

In addition, there were also the pipes and drums of the Irish Guards, Royal Gurkha Rifles, South African Irish Regiment, the Rats of Tobruk and the City of Wellington pipe band.

Related Topics:
Irish Guards - Royal Gurkha Rifles - South African Irish Regiment - Rats of Tobruk - City of Wellington

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