Behind the scenes at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

 As you might well imagine, the practical logistics behind the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is staggeringly complex.  There is only one way into the Castle for performers and for the audience so all the performers have to be high up in the Castle grounds and ready in position at least two hours before the show so that the audience has time to take their seats.  

It starts with everyone loading onto a convoy of coaches at the university residence.  The police control traffic and all the busses tear off to the Castle grounds.  For security reasons, the busses take several different routes to the castle and all converge just below the event and wait. 
From there, the busses are systematically brought up the cobblestone streets, into the castle and parked on the parade square.  Once all the busses are in position, the performers are allowed to leave the busses and we all head up to the highest point in the castle.

Getting gear off the busses is a bit of a tight squeeze but we always manage.  After everyone is clear of the parade square, the busses systematically leave back down the Royal Mile and off into a holding area.

 Further up the Castle grounds, the pipe bands all assemble for a briefing from the Director of the Tattoo and the Senior Drum Major and Senior Pipe Major.   

This is a shot of all the pipers and drummers in position forming the shape of the Ying/Yang symbolizing the theme of this years Tattoo - East Meets West

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A little later on, the band assembles with other bands at predetermined positions and prepare to go onto the square for the tune Hector the Hero.  This shot was taken at the Saturday matinee time.  Normally, we walk out in total darkness!.