Edinburgh Castle marked by Tattoo

The programme for the annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo was revealed earlier this week, on July 23. This year's extravaganza will run from 1 - 23 August.

Over 1,000 performers from Australasia, America, Asia, Norway and the UK will showcase their skills in the Castle Esplanade, in front of Edinburgh Castle, this year. This year's tattoo is the 59th Edinburgh Tattoo.

The elements comprising the traditional Edinburgh Tattoo will all be in place this year, including the Lone Piper, the massed pipes and drums and massed bands. The Massed Bands of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines will be an undoubted highlight, as will His Majesty The King’s Guards Band and Drill Team of Norway.

One of the most popular marching bands from the USA, the Golden Eagles from Missouri, will have the chance to demonstrate their talents on the Castle Esplanade.

The word 'tattoo' originates from the Low Countries. Landlords would call out: ‘Doe den tap toe’ (literally, ‘Turn off the taps’), at closing time.

Last year was the ninth consecutive year in which the Tattoo sold out. According to the Edinburgh Tattoo website almost 220,000 visitors attend the Tattoo each year.

Major General Euan Loudon, the event's chief executive and producer, told journalists that he planned "to present the best of Scotland's heritage along with wonderful variety from around the world, which I hope Tattoo visitors will delight in."

The Castle Esplanade was originally laid out in the mid eighteenth century. The railings were added early in the nineteenth century. The temporary stands that have been installed for the Edinburgh Tattoo will be removed once the event has finished.

Independent travellers in Edinburgh can hear all about the history of the Scottish capital with a Walk Talk Tour of Edinburgh. There are two Walk Talk Tours of Edinburgh, which listeners can hear via their iPod, MP3 player, mobile phone, blackberry or 3G phone.

Sightseers can become undercover tourists with the Royal Mile & More, Edinburgh travel guide. Listeners to the Royal Mile & More audio walking tour can hear about the Castle's rich history. Despite the Castle's position on top of an extinct volcanic rock, formed more than 340 million years ago, it changed hands several times. The final unsuccessful assault on the Castle took place during the Jacobite Rebellion in 1745. Discover the origins of the word Edinburgh and more.

The Royal Mile & More, Edinburgh iPod travel guide, takes listeners on a journey down the Royal Mile. Hear about the Scottish capital's grisly relationship with witchcraft, hear about the man who - unwittingly - constructed his own gallows. Walk along George IV bridge. See the place where J K Rowling composed some of her early Harry Potter novels and hear about Edinburgh's most famous canine, Greyfriars Bobby.

The tour continues down the Lawnmarket to St Giles Cathedral, in Parliament Square. Hear about prayer book riots and bagpipe playing angels! See the house where John Knox, the first Protestant Minister of St Giles, is believed to have lived. Walk onto the Cannongate. Hear about the People's Museum's previous life as Canongate Tolbooth. Discover which famous Scots are buried in Canongate Kirkyard. To hear an audio sample from the Royal Mile & More, Edinburgh walking tour, please click here.

Hear about the trials and tribulations of the new Scottish Parliament building. The Royal Mile & More mp3 guided tour concludes outside the gates to the Queen's official residence in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

With a Walk Talk Tour you're in charge. No need to feel conspicuous with a guidebook in your hands, or struggle to follow - let alone hear - the man with the umbrella.

Sightseeing with children? If they're driving you round the bend, simply stop your tour and resume it again once their - and your - energy levels have been restored. Each Walk Talk Tour comes complete with Where & When pages, which provide information and links to key attractions on each tour's routes. Some of Edinburgh's top visitor attractions are admission free, like the new Scottish Parliament, the National Gallery of Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland.

What's more with a Walk Talk Tour you can do your bit for the environment and burn a calorie or two in the process.

Unlike some tour operators, with Walk Talk Tours there are no hidden charges. Each Walk Talk Tour of Edinburgh costs just £5.95. Customers purchasing both tours simultaneously will receive a twenty per cent discount.