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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13. Drumming up an audience
Massed pipes and drums at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo 1960. Photo: Ian Brand
14. Landed
A model Royal Air Force Transport Command Aircraft on its stand on the Castle Esplanade before the start of the Tattoo in 1962. | TSPL
15. Practice makes perfect
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada and Canadian Black Watch rehearsing on the Castle Esplanade in 1962. | TSPL
16. Recent arrivals
Members of The Indian 61st Cavalry Regiment, who were appearing at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1962, after leaving the train at Gorgie sidings. | TSPL