In Defence of the Military Tattoo
Those who agree that the temporary grandstand at Edinburgh Castle is an eyesore but are unconvinced by the stone amphitheatre solution will sometimes propose a third option: relocating the Military Tattoo. I typically respond by highlighting the efforts the organisers have made since 1950; it’s clear they’d never give up the site easily.
‘Efforts’ include commissioning the current structure, completed in 2011, and spending around £2 million per year on its assembly and disassembly, along with the logistical overhead this brings. If they were at all interested in the much easier and presumably cheaper alternative of Murrayfield, for example, I’m sure they would’ve moved by now.
It’s ultimately up to the Scottish Ministers, who own the esplanade, but I can’t see political willpower emerging for what would be a fundamentally uninspiring campaign to evict a revered institution – not least because of its deep ties to the castle, where there remains a working barracks.
I focus on likelihood because I sense that those who suggest ‘the third option’ dislike the Tattoo in any case. However, I will now declare a bias: I wouldn’t want us to move it even if we could. The castle is the perfect backdrop, and the esplanade exists for parading – the event belongs there.
Heritage is more than our built environment; it’s also our cultural traditions. The practice of gathering to watch parades on the esplanade is itself heritage, as we’ve been doing so for generations. The inaugural 1950 Tattoo wasn’t even the first instance of temporary stands – they were constructed as early as 1822 for King George IV’s visit to the castle. (Such processions might occur today during Royal Week if it weren’t for the scaffolding.)
A stone amphitheatre is therefore neither a frivolous concept nor a vanity project. It’s the dignifying of a centuries-old activity: a legitimate part of the castle’s story that deserves to be properly told. I sincerely believe retiring the metal and plastic is as much in the Tattoo’s interest as it is in ours.
