Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2017

Got a good shot of these sailors who were smartly dressed for the parade. 


Had been to the Military Tattoo this year at Edinburgh. This happens to be on the  bucket list for many and so was it for us. We were there well in advance and it was nice to see the stands getting filled up slowly. 




While walking up the Royal Mile towards the castle, I turned back and clicked the sea of humanity who were all going in the same direction. 


The lineup of participants included 250 pipers and drummers, and contingents from Japan, India, UK and US .  You could see the flags of all the participating nations fluttering around the Esplanade. 


I learned later that the stands at the Esplanade can be assembled or dismantled within a month.  The seats were quite comfortable but some liked to have additional cushions, which were available on hire at a cost of one pound.
The Tattoo starts off with the ceremony of theGaelic Toast, where the Piper and the Salute taker have a Quaich (Scottish drinking cup) of whisky. The Piper recites the Gaelic Toast (welcoming the Salute taker to the castle, wishing him, the Queen and everyone present the best) and then they drink together. They have to then kiss the bottom of the Quaich as a sign that no whisky is left behind and wasted.  




The Marines stand at ease while the ceremony goes on. 


 As the night progressed there were projections on the castle which were mostly related to the story enacted or the parade. 



The Indian Naval band appeared with Commander Vijay Charles and 65 musician sailors. There was an array of colourful dancers who danced to Vande Matram. Later, to my surprise they started playing Bollywood numbers.  


As for the Japanese, they had the Ground Self Defence Force Central Band with some special performance on the drums. 


The Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland told the story of the Jacobites through the breathtaking piece “Ambush in the Glen”

The Royal Navy towed in a Helicopter to add to the effect of a search and destroy operation. 


I think the light and the sound effect played a major role in the whole show.    



We were lucky to get our seats in row K section 5 from where I could capture some of the action with my point and shoot camera. 


After editing / splicing and joining the snippets, it runs for about 41 minutes. It will give you a glimpse of the actual performance which ran for about 100 minutes. At the end of the Tattoo, all the participants come on to the Esplanade and they march out through the Royal Mile.  




Earlier in the day I had clicked the castle from outside.



19 comments:

Barbara Casillas said...

Scotland is a magical place. I loved your photos, especially the one of all the people walking up the Royal Mile. It reminded me of my time there. Thank you for visiting my blog.

Anonymous said...

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Shoyeb Ahmed said...

Nice coverage. After seeing you feel as u have attended the function. Great.

Julia @ Vintage with Laces said...

It was interesting to see pictures of the ceremony. Thank you for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Joe,it was great - Terence Wordsworth

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
good grief Joe... I have been keeping tabs on you but this one demands a comment from me... We quite possibly crossed paths and didn't even know it!!! I visit Edinburgh monthly (elderly father) and was there last week enjoying several of the shows - I am so glad you got to the tattoo!!! I shall watch your videos with interest as it will be different from what the BBC put out as their 'highlights'. Failte from the (very damp) West Coast of the Bonny Land &*> YAM xx

Anvilcloud said...

What a great experience for you. It was a good Bucket List item.

Peter Kouwenhoven said...

When I was a teenager, growing up in The Hague, Netherlands, we would go to the tattoo in Delft. Your pictures sure bring back some memories. Thanks for sharing.

JFM said...

How wonderful of you to share this with us. Scotland would be one place that I would love to visit...if I traveled.
Thank you for this post and visiting my blog today 💮

Christine said...

Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience.

Lowcarb team member said...

My parents used to go to this wonderful event ...
Your photographs are lovely, I'm so pleased you got to enjoy this marvellous event. It is such a brilliant experience.

All the best Jan

Theresa Mahoney said...

I am sure the event was quite the experience to see in person! The pictures were great!

Greg said...

What a wonderful event. I've wanted to visit Edinburgh for a long time and I hope to get there soon.

Misty said...

That looks amazing!!! It must have been a wonderful experience!

Miss Val's Creations said...

Oh I would have loved this event. Bearing a Scottish surname it is on my bucket list to visit Scotland someday!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic input on your part Joe. I enjoyed your blog. - Ivan Joseph D'Souza

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Lovely photos of this event. I have enjoyed your post!

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing this article with us. Thank you again for this type of article with us

padmaja said...

Lovely narrative and great pictures!