With two weeks still to run, this year's Edinburgh Military Tattoo is already a sell-out. The largest ever with 1200 performers from around the globe it provided a fitting climax to the Queen's Golden Jubilee tour when she attended a performance earlier this week. Surprisingly it is only the second time that the Queen has attended the tattoo, the first being the inaugural event in 1950 when her father was still on the throne.
On that occasion there were only eight items on the programme but in the intervening half century it has grown to be a centrepiece of the
Edinburgh International Festival, attracting an annual television
audience of 100 million.
Around 200,000 hardy souls brave the chill of the castle esplanade every year to view the spectacular in person, with 70% of the audience from outwith Scotland.
In all that time not a single performance has been cancelled, and for the first 42 years of the tattoo the event had three different producers. The first overseas regiment to participate was the Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers. The year was 1952, and since then 30 countries have been represented at the tattoo.
The first lone piper on the castle battlements was Pipe Major George Stoddart who played in every performance for the first 11 years. Only one woman has featured as the lone piper. Officer Cadet Elaine Marnoch appeared in 1977.
The tattoo is set up and run for charitable purposes. Over the years, it
has given some (pounds) 4m to service and civilian organisations.
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