Edinburgh Tattoo
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo:
- The first Edinburgh Tattoo took place in 1950. There were eight items in the programme.
- More than 12 million people have attended the Tattoo. The annual audience is around 217,000.
- Around 100 million people see the Tattoo each year on international television.
- Approximately 70 per cent of each audience is from outwith Scotland. Half of these are from overseas.
- The average number of participants is 1000.
- The Tattoo is set up and run for charitable purposes. Over the years, it has gifted some £5 million to service and civilian organisations.
- Around 35 miles of cabling (the distance from Edinburgh to Glasgow) is required.
- The first overseas regiment to participate was the Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers. The year was 1952, and there were also performers from Canada and France.
- Not a single performance of the Tattoo has ever been cancelled.
- Over 40 countries have been represented at the Tattoo.
- The word ‘tattoo’ comes from the closing-time cry in the inns in the Low Countries during the 17th and 18th centuries - ‘Doe den tap toe’ (‘Turn off the taps’).
Making more of your visit is easy, click here to see some of the other activities we offer in Edinburgh or, if you're visiting Scotland for a longer holiday, why not talk to us about organising your dream trip? Find out what we can offer by emailing us at info@casheltravel.com.