Welcome to the 2017 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the second of a series of posts on our tour of Scotland.
Since the City of Edinburgh is Festival City in August we were busy all 10 days that we were there. And if you go to Edinburgh in August do not miss the Royal Military Tattoo.
See the Photo Gallery below for our story of the 2017 Tattoo.
About the Royal Military Tattoo
The word ‘tattoo’, in this context, means ‘an evening drum or bugle signal to recall soldiers to their quarters.’ A tattoo precedes ‘taps’, which is the signal for ‘lights out’ at the end of the day. A Military Tattoo is a military show of music, marching and exercises. The annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo grew out of a small performance called ‘Something About a Soldier’ in 1949. Today, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Charities) Ltd holds the event in a large outdoor stadium in the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The Tattoo has never been cancelled. (Update: The Tattoo was cancelled for the first time in 2020 due to the coronavirus epidemic.)
The Tattoo’s theme, bands and tributes vary each year. This year’s Tattoo featured a wonderful tribute to the Canadian singer, songwriter and poet, Leonard Cohen. There was also a tribute to the Viking heritage of the Shetland Islands.
Buy your tickets in advance at Tattoo.
The 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo Photo Gallery
Click on the photos below to discover the magic of the 2017 Tattoo.
Then click on Travel Scotland for more stories about our adventures in Scotland, including our campervan tour of the Highlands, the Hebrides, and the mysterious and abandoned St. Kilda Islands.
All the performers were assembled on the stadium floor for the singing of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', the Lone Piper performing 'Sleep Dearie Sleep' and the Finale, 'Scotland the Brave'. The Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.The Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo honoured a couple of Scottish clans, as it does every year.Two Pipers at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo included a tribute to the Shetland Islands and their Viking heritage. I was particularly interested in this because my surname, Anderson, has its Scottish roots on the Shetland Islands. Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.The Viking Galley at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
Hjaltibonhoga is a group comprised of the best fiddlers from the Shetland Islands. The group has performed at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo annually since 2014. Scotland.Hjaltibonhoga at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The accordion has long been a part of rural Scottish music, but recently the accordion has gained popularity country-wide. The 2017 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.An Accordion Player at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The Japanese Ground Self Defence Force Central Band marched and played Taiko drums at the 2017 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.Taiko Drums Played at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
A singer, accompanying the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force Central Band, silenced the 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo audience with a Japanese song. She later captured the audience again singing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.A Japanese Singer Performing at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines perform regularly at the 2017 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.The Leader of the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
One trumpeter of the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines seems to be distracted. It is easy to see why with so much going on at the 2017 Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.The Distracted Trumpeter at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The Tattoo always ends with The Lone Piper performing high atop the Edinburgh Castle ramparts, followed by the Finale. It is a great honour to be chosen to be The Lone Piper at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Scotland.The Lone Piper at the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2017.
The 2017 Edinburgh Tattoo Video Gallery
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