Around The World Without Flying: Edinburgh Part 4 - The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

So much has happened since my last post, this is my first opportunity to write my next post. I do apologise that my writing has slowed down so much.

I arrived in New York on Thursday morning, getting up at 4 am and standing at the bow of the ship on the very top deck (Deck 13) in very strong, freezing cold winds to see New York City coming closer and closer. That day I walked a total of about 50(!) city blocks to have my hair cut then see some of the sights of New York, after which I could barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone get my computer out of its bag. Then I was up at 4 am to get ready for my long train trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, where I am right now. It was almost 6 pm by the time we arrived. With only a couple of hours of daylight remaining, I went off on a 2-hour taxi ride to not only view ‘The Falls’, but also to visit ’Niagara on the Lake’, a beautiful, charming and far more tranquil place that is not far from this city.

Anyhow, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo was an unforgettable experience. The atmosphere was electric even as we walked up the hill from our hotel, gathering more and more crowds the closer we got. Security was tight. Everyone had their bags checked, and even then we had to stand in long lines until the gates were open. Our seats were right at the top on the side, which was a very steep climb. And I was so glad I had been warned about the freezing cold winds, which blew straight onto our side of the stadium with such force that even the fireworks at the end of the night were blown practically out of our sight. (They were fired from behind our side of the stadium.)

I was dressed with many layers, including a goose down jacket and a heavy raincoat, as well as a scarf made from angora and possum fur, and a woollen cap under the hood of my raincoat, with the rug I bought in Scotland wrapped around my legs. I was literally ‘as snug as a bug in a rug’. All you could see of me was my eyes and nose. I cannot begin to imagine how cold those spectators who wore very little must have been.

One of the most spectacular aspects of the Tattoo, apart from all the precision marching, dancing, drumming and so forth, was all the lighting effects. We have what is called ‘White Night’ in Melbourne each year, when the main buildings have incredible moving patterns and pictures playing on them all night. The projectors and the technology that achieve these effects are amazing. The castle walls likewise became a screen for very colourful, moving images that captured the spirit of the performers, and the stories they were telling through their performance. Multiple spotlights lit up the performers and the grounds of the stadium on which they performed as well.

This apparently was a slightly different show to usual, in that there was a little more emphasis on singing and dancing. The performers from India gave a very colourful, poetic display, and the performers from Japan, which country participated for the very first time, showed their spectacular skills on their very big drums, The Japanese performance also included a mock sword fight between two Samurais and some beautiful operatic singing - in English.

And yet, although all the colour effects, the costumes (especially Scottish kilts), and the brilliant performances were simply wonderful, the aspect that thrilled me the most, and always has when I have viewed the Tattoo on television in previous years, is the haunting sound of all the bagpipes and of the lone piper standing high on the castle wall at the end of the night, just as the sound of the didgeridoo sends shivers up my spine. They speak of something deep and spiritual, of pride and dignity, the powerful calling of past warriors and leaders.

If you hope to go to the Tattoo in the future, remember that it only occurs in August each year, and is so popular you need to purchase your tickets a year ahead, as soon as they become available. It sells out very quickly a year ahead! And give yourself enough time to explore Scotland while you are there. Our time was all too short. We were off to England the very next day. I would have so loved to see other places such as the lochs and mountains further north, and to spend more time in Edinburgh.