The reason for our skipping away from the ship for a couple of days was to attend the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, held annually during a few weeks in August. Lots of videos are available on Youtube, so you can look up whatever you'd like. This was our experience.
They do an efficient job of getting people into the facility. I'd guess 8-10K in the stands. Always a sellout and never cancelled (take your rain gear). The two seats in front of us were vacant, but I assume they were sold. This is a pano view from our seats.
The featured guest was a General from Special Services (British SEAL equivalent) and he ceremonially starts things off with a wee dram of Scotch whiskey.
The theme of this year's Tattoo (pronounced by the announcer as tu TOO) is ROYGBIV, or more accurately, the Colors of the Rainbow. The dancers led off with glow sticks/light sabers.
Followed by the massed pipes and drums.
There were lots of groups that played, and they intermixed at times. Here we have the dancers and the marching violinists with the pipes.
The castle was illuminated with colorful lighting during the show. Sometimes with pictures, ala Disney.
A German group playing German hunting music, with dancing Octoberfest servers. Hunting and beer are such a natural pairing.
The Trinidad & Tobago marching band, with pyrotechnics...
... and limbo...
....and marching steel drums.
A French band, so to propagate the stereotype we need...
...can can dancers.
Most of the marching was back and forth on the parade ground. Typically they would march to one end, then turn around and march back through the following troops. The pictures make it look disorganized, but it kept them moving.
More Scottish dancing
The marching violin players, a first for me (and Cynthia, who played violin back in the day, but never marched),
The New Zealand marching band interrupted their playing for a haka.
There was a singing interlude, which induced a lot of cell phone battery usage.
The show ended with every performer on the field
There were some fireworks, but everyday Disney does a better job than the Tattoo.
More than 800 on the field
The show closes with a rendition of the English version of Taps.
The lone piper
To me it seemed like at 105 minutes football half time show, where one of the schools featured a bagpipe music program. It was interesting and fun, but I have no desire to go see it again. I was surprised that there was no precision military drill included, since some of the Youtube videos have that. Perhaps they chose not to include any, or perhaps the liability insurance was too high.
They do an efficient job of getting people into the facility. I'd guess 8-10K in the stands. Always a sellout and never cancelled (take your rain gear). The two seats in front of us were vacant, but I assume they were sold. This is a pano view from our seats.
and an homage to the rainbow, with butterflies/dancers.
A French band, so to propagate the stereotype we need...
The lone piper 
and finally the drummer playing the Scottish Tattoo
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