The Edinburgh Tattoo has been ticked off the bucket list

What is it about the bagpipes that I love so much? I’m not sure why, but whenever I hear them, they always bring a tear to my eye. I’m not Scottish, so this doesn’t make sense. Maybe it’s because our family used to watch the Edinburgh Tattoo on television when I was a child? I loved watching that event every year, with the military bands, the drums, the highland dancers and the Edinburgh Castle in the background. And of course, the bagpipes.

So when Ivan and I decided to take a break from work and live in France, it made sense to incorporate a trip to Edinburgh to attend the Tattoo and fulfil a lifelong dream of mine. After all, Edinburgh is on the same side of the world as France. So we left Laura our canal boat in the marina in Saint-Jean-de-Losne and headed off to Scotland.

Now, Ivan is not a massive fan of the bagpipes. In fact to Ivan, the bagpipes sound like squeezing a bag full of cats. Let’s just say that the bagpipes bring a tear to Ivan’s eye too, but not in the same way as they do for me. But being such a trooper and knowing how much I love the Tattoo Ivan happily indulged me.

Edinburgh is Stunning

Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with stunning architecture everywhere you look.

There are so many monuments and statues all around the city honouring people of note and providing a handy perch and toilet for birds. The below picture is the main reason why I never want my own statue. Fortunately, I have never done anything that could ever warrant one.

Edinburgh in August

The Edinburgh Tattoo runs for 3 weeks each August. It runs at the same time as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival so it’s crazy busy. Accommodation is hard to get and expensive, but there’s people and performances everywhere and it’s such an amazing vibe. It’s definitely worth it!

First bagpipe experience

Wandering around the streets of Edinburgh was a delight for me when we came across someone playing the bagpipes. Not so much for Ivan it seems!

Cat Sh!t Crazy

On the bus one day we met a lovely lady called Cindy from the US who was performing in the Fringe Festival. She told us about her show which was called Cat Shit Crazy (although she has to spell sh!t like this on the marketing material). It’s about her rescue cats and her life and how the love of her cats transformed her. I told Cindy our story of Laura the 3 legged cat in France that I’d fallen in love with and rescued a few weeks earlier and she thought it was wonderful. She certainly understands how easy it is to fall in love with a vulnerable creature, and we hit it off right away. It’s amazing the people you meet on a bus!

We went to Cindy’s show and it was excellent. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more and were impressed with Cindy’s incredible acting and storytelling ability. I hope Cindy continues to perform her show, and if you get a chance to see it somewhere in the world, then make sure you go along. If you’ve ever loved an animal then this is the show for you. After the show, we caught up with Cindy for a drink and this photo made it into her publicity shots.

The Edinburgh Tattoo

So what about the Tattoo? Was it as good as I’d dreamed it would be? The answer is a definitive yes! It was one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget it. It was very special to be there with Ivan, Mum (who also adores the bagpipes), my Aunty Beany and my cousin David. I think you can tell how excited we were in the lead-up from the video below.

When the show started and the bagpipes played, I cried tears of absolute joy. All those years of watching the Tattoo on TV as a kid, I couldn’t believe I was actually in Edinburgh, watching it live. It was one of those truly special moments in life. And looking over at my mum, she had tears as well. What a wonderful experience to share together. Ivan also had tears, but that was when his beer ran out.

The show featured military bands from different parts of the world, highland dancing and of course the bagpipes, which were my favourite. The Edinburgh Castle was the background for the event and added to the atmosphere. Here’s some highland dancing. Apologies for the filming – I was too engrossed in the show to do it justice.

And here’s some more bagpipes for tragics like me who love them!

So what did Ivan think of the Tattoo? He actually loved it! It would be difficult not to love such an amazing spectacle. But he’s still not a fan of the bagpipes. Oh well. But he does understand that I do, so much so, that the following night he indulged me when I wanted to see the Tattoo pipers marching out of the stadium and down the street at the end of the show. He even filmed it for me because he’s so much taller than me (thanks Ivan!). And yes, if anyone is wondering, I cried yet again when I saw the pipers (again with the tears – what’s happening to me!). But no one batted an eyelid because hey, it’s the Edinburgh Festival!

I’m so glad we had the opportunity to go to the Edinburgh Tattoo. I can now tick it off my bucket list. And if I ever get the opportunity to go again, I certainly will. And as for Ivan’s bucket list? He’s always wanted to sail a Dragonfly Trimaran. So after Edinburgh, we headed to Denmark to fulfil one of Ivan’s dreams. You can read about it in our next blog.

But before you go, here’s the footage Ivan took of the pipers marching down the street from the Edinburgh Castle. Magic!