60 Years of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo

60 Years of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Of all Edinburgh’s August happenings, the Military Tattoo is perhaps the most iconic. With its fairytale setting – the majestic esplanade of Edinburgh Castle – and the impeccable Massed Pipes and Drums, as well as a dazzling array of international participants, it squeezes the central themes of the capital’s Festival season into one impressive spectacle: raw Scottish pride fused with enriching global contributions. And with a live audience of over 200,000 every year and 100 million people estimated to watch the event on television, there’s no denying that this is a slick operation.
It may then be surprising to find out that there are only about 20 people working year-round from the Tattoo’s Market Street offices in Edinburgh to bring the extravaganza together. At the helm of this organisation is Major General Euan Loudon, who has been chief executive and producer of the Tattoo since 2007 but has roots that have been entwined with the cultural event for much longer. ‘I seem to have been enchanted and entangled with this wonderful institution all my life,’ he says. ‘My first memories of it are going with my grandparents as a wee boy in the late 1950s and being thrilled with the James Bond car doing J-turns on the esplanade or dog display teams from the Royal Air Force. There aren’t things like dog display teams anymore or naval rigging display teams, as they don’t exist; those gaps were filled by even more colourful and diverse international acts.’