The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo takes place every year in August, featuring musical and artistic performances by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands and regiments.
The name comes from the 17th-century Dutch phrase ‘doe den tap toe’, meaning ‘turn off the tap’, which was a drummed signal for tavern owners to close the beer taps so soldiers would return to their lodgings at a reasonable hour.
A century later ‘tattoo’ came to mean both the last duty call of the day and ceremonial evening entertainment performed by military musicians.
Read more: Edinburgh's Festivals 2026: Here are all the festivals taking place in the Capital this August - and what's happening at them
The first Edinburgh Tattoo was called ‘Something About a Soldier’ and took place in 1949 at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, with the official annual event on the castle esplanade starting the next year.
In 1950 around 6,000 spectators saw the show which has grown in size since then, adding nightly fireworks and attracting around 220,000 people to the multiple live performances each year.
This year’s event will take place on the Castle Esplanade from August 7-29.
Here are 20 pictures from The Scotsman archives to take you back to the early days of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
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1. On the march
Members of the Canadian Black Watch marching to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1962. Photo: TSPL
2. Regimental mascot
The Parachute Regiment on the Castle Esplanade at the 1962 Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Photo: TSPL
3. Under construction
The scaffolding goes up on Edinburgh Castle esplanade before the Edinburgh Tattoo of 1959. Photo: Unknown
4. Special visit
In 1962 the Edinburgh Military Tattoo performed for patients at Princess Margaret Rose Hospital. Photo: TSPL