Our visit to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo last week was a veritable feast on the eyes and the ears.
The show lasted approximately one hour and forty minutes from start to finish and we were treated to an extravaganza like nothing we had experienced before.
With over 1,000 military and civilian performers there was never a dull moment.
This year’s theme to the tattoo was “2013 The year of Natural Scotland” based on the four seasons and with the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle itself the scene was set for the start of this festival of music, song and dance.
The opening sequence was from the Highland pipers followed by the massed pipes and drums of the Scots guards and the 3rd battalion Black Watch, continuing with the Highland dancers who performed brilliantly to an enthusiastic audience.
There was just too many taking part in this extravaganza to list and my notes were very scratchy so I will continue with a few that I thought deserved a special mention.
Firstly the National Defence Band and Dancers from the Republic of Korea were just amazing with their contribution.
The Imps Motorcycle display team, aged between 6 to 11 years old added a touch of comedy to the event with their daring and expertise.
The Jaguares marching band and the Mexican folk dance company whose roots lay way back in the Mayan traditions performed brilliantly.
The Lochiel marching drill team were immaculate in their display and with a powerful marching beat they performed in a flourish of snow that filled the arena.
The finale with the entire cast of the tattoo on the esplanade, combined with the fireworks and a spectacular display of the planets on the castle walls was sensational.
The evening ended with the lone piper standing high upon the battlements playing the Scottish soldier’s traditional call to the end of the day. It was all very moving.
