When we talk about “military,” what exactly are we thinking? Or rather, what do we imagine for this word? From my perspective as a visitor who grew up in an authoritarian country, before I travelled to Edinburgh, I thought the “military tattoo” was just a synonym for “military parade.” The latter often uses strict formations, precise marching, and almost mechanical uniformity to demonstrate collective power. However, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (hereafter referred to as REMT) showed me how they are totally different in an incredible way. 

I learned about this event just two days before the performance. I originally had only booked a train ticket for a film screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival, but one of my friends told me that August is the time when various art festivals are most intensive in Edinburgh. So I quickly browsed the internet and bought a ticket for REMT with the idea of giving it a try. It turns out that this decision would bring me unexpected surprises. 

When I walked out of Waverley Train Station and came to Princes St, I immediately saw the venue where REMT is held: Edinburgh Castle. Violent geological activities in ancient times (thankfully, no more now) brought inexhaustible dark hard basalt resources to Edinburgh, which makes the castle in Norman style. It looks simple in carving, but full of majesty. 

Under the guard by the Monument of the Royal Scots Greys, Edinburgh Castle just stands on the Castle Rock and looks down upon this city. 

REMT didn’t start until 9:15pm. However, a long queue had formed from the entrance of the Castle Stand since the afternoon. I got there around 7:30pm. The time spent waiting is always the longest one, but at that moment, I suddenly heard a familiar melody. The volume of the music was not very loud, but it was clear enough. Its rhythm was not fast; slow but firm. It climbed over the high walls of the castle and flowed gracefully into my ears. That piece was Shche Ne Vmerla Ukraina, the national anthem of Ukraine. 

At that time, Ukraine was still in the stage of arduous resistance, and a band that was rehearsing chose to use this method to mourn the victims of the Patriotic War in Ukraine. 

At night in maritime climate areas, the wind is still cold, even in August. I kind of regretted not bringing a thicker jacket, as the instructions said, because the jacket I was wearing was quite thin. But my attention didn’t linger too much here. As the countdown to the laser blast approached, the crowd began to roar with excitement. When the countdown ended, passionate music sounded, marking the official start of the Tattoo. 

As the countdown ended, the band of Royal Marine took the lead in playing music. The theme of this year’s tattoo is Stories. 

After a brief performance of contemporary orchestra music, the Royal Marines Band exited. Next was a softly emerging sound of bagpipes; a composite formation of various Pipes and Drums bands slowly marched out from the gates of Edinburgh Castle. They wore different styles of tartans, and the gates behind them emitted dry ice smoke, obscuring the path from which they came, giving the audience an impression that the formation had truly crossed the boundaries of time and space from the past to here, ready to tell a story to the audience. 

Honestly, the history they embody is indeed rich. Most of the tartans worn have histories spanning hundreds of years, passed down through the generations as a set pattern by their respective regiments. Tartans, with the widely recognised repeating cross-symmetrical weave, are incredibly popular, and different colours and patterns produce all kinds of captivating designs.  

The historical heritage of Edinburgh Castle seems even more profound in the soldiers’ steady steps.

What followed were various artistic performances. This is the primary reason why a tattoo is totally different from a parade. Although a military tattoo also involves soldiers marching in formation, they are entirely audience-focused, with stronger artistry. Furthermore, a military tattoo is not limited to just “military” performances. After the military bands, I witnessed group ballet, masquerade dances, light shows, and acrobatics.

Yes, you read it right, the lady from Royal Airforce Central Band was singing with a microphone.

Group ballet performance from Scottish Ballet.

Roles in Scottish Folklores. 

When historical bagpipes are combined with cyberpunk.

Sometimes, honour guards don’t necessarily display honours with traditional military music, such as the infantry drill by the King’s Colour Squadron. While still mesmerised by their intricately complex formations, I almost ignored what music that accompanied their performance. It wasn’t until much later that a thought suddenly occurred to me, “Wait, why does this music sound so familiar?” My brain seemed to freeze because I was still subconsciously stuck in the mindset of “it must be military music.” It took me a few seconds to realise that it was not military music at all, but a variation of the theme melody from a video game series, Battlefield. Yet, this piece of game music didn’t feel out of place at all within the Squadron’s formations, making me deeply admire their artistic direction. 

Laser projection is undoubtedly the primary factor that turned this performance into a visual feast. I didn’t realise so many laser projectors had been installed at the venue until the show began. Hundreds of projectors formed a matrix, casting daedal patterns across the field. Each act had its own unique lighting effects. When the laser projections illuminated Edinburgh Castle, the architecture, originally the different depths of field, seemed to transform into a bidimensional screen, once again astonishing me with the precision of the equipment. Finally, the image projected at the castle shifted to display the portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III, echoing this year’s tattoo theme, the Stories, which elicited a burst of applause from the audience. 

Of course, the atmosphere is not created by only sound and light. In acrobatic performances, fire-breathing is a common act. Sometimes, performers spout flames into the air; sometimes, the pyrotechnic props suddenly shoot flames, reaching a height about three to four metres. No matter how unimpressive the flames are, a genuine smell of smoke carried by the wind always followed. This detail reveals the dedication of the props team in planning the presentation of the performance. Their engagement of the audience’s sense of smell highlights the professionalism of the REMT in the performance planning.  

After all the performance groups had made their appearances, the tattoo did not conclude as I had expected. Instead, it reached the climax of the entire show. All the previous performers, including the honour guards, military bands, ballet troupe, and acrobatic group, returned to the stage, assembling in the field. As each group entered, either playing music or dancing, golden lights projected on the venue, and bright fireworks were released just at that moment, like the final day of a carnival, with unrestrained joy designed to captivate the audience’s hearts.

The order of exit from front to back: Royal Air Force Central Band, United States Air Force Band, & Swiss Armed Force Central Band.

After all the other performance groups had left, a square of Pipes & Drums remained on the field. The fireworks ceased, and all the audience’s attention focused on the square. They began to play a rousing tune, which I immediately recognised: Scotland the Brave, one of the most iconic tunes of the Scottish Highland bagpipes, and widely acknowledged as one of Scotland’s unofficial anthems (the other two are Flower of Scotland and Scots Wha Hae). From their tartans, it was clear that this composite square included members from at least six different bands, but the main players of the Highland bagpipes were from the Pipes & Drums of the 2nd and 4th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The predominant red and green hues of these two units were unmistakable. The music sounded unique and extraordinary, as this version of Scotland the Brave was entirely different from the solo ones available on music apps—when nearly a hundred bagpipes play in unison, the charm is something that you can only fully appreciate on spot. The audience’s enthusiasm also reached the peak at that time, with many waving flags of St Andrew’s Cross and vocally joining in at the tempo changes in the music. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo concluded on this climax. 

The square played exciting music and marched for a circle before leaving. The leading officer also saluted all the audience.

The utilisation of modern audio and visual technology, as well as chemical principles, allowed the audience to immerse themselves in a two-hour-long feast for the senses. Most importantly, however, in my opinion, the fundamental difference between the tattoo and the parade lies in the fact that these modern techniques, when applied in a performance hosted by a team dressed in classical attire within a classical venue, are aimed to showcase every side of Scotland’s personality and values throughout its history. This stands in a stark contrast to the logic of the latter, which erases individual value within the collective during its presentation. 

I stayed in Edinburgh for three days in total. Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well each night—the hotel I stayed in was too close to Edinburgh Castle. I had thought it would be a perfect opportunity to experience the charm of downtown Edinburgh, while I overlooked a crucial detail: the REMT performed every night in mid to late August without interruption, which means I was woken up around 11pm each night by the fireworks from the closing ceremony. 

When I returned to London from Edinburgh, I was still thinking, “OK, next time I want to watch it again from the best vantage point.” Watching the videos I had taken later, I found the frequent camera movements frustrating, as they severely affected the viewing experience. The REMT viewing area is a U-shaped stand, and only the central position offers an unobstructed view. Of course, bringing a thicker jacket and a fully charged camera on my next trip to Edinburgh would also be a wise choice. 

Jianwei retains a strong curiosity about this diverse world, with a good capacity for comparative cultural and socio-political analysis. 

All photos courtesy and copyright Jianwei Chen