Edinburgh, Tattoo and the Fringe

We enjoyed a weekend of fun in Edinburgh as we joined in festivities of the first week of the Festival Fringe and enjoyed our second Royal Military Tattoo! We loved it so much a couple of years ago, we just had to go back!

The 2015 addition of the Edinburg Military Tattoo is the 66th to be held here.  This year's theme is "East meets West" and incorporates a cultural exchange with China.  As always, an impressive gathering of precision military groups from all over the world entertain sellout crowds of close to 9000 people for 24 individual performances throughout the month of August. This year's event features military groups and cultural dance performances from England, Scotland, Switzerland, India, the United States, and this time China.

The Tattoo is performed at the front gate of Edinburgh Castle

In this case the title "Tattoo" has nothing at all to do with body art. In fact, the word "Tattoo," does have a direct tie to British  military history. Tattoo comes from the dutch phrase "Doe den tap toe", shortened to "tap toe" (pronounced "too"), meaning "last orders", requiring proprietors to close the beer tap. The British grabbed onto the term after being introduced to it during the Austrian War of Succession, and it became tradition for the British regiments Corps of Drums and Pipes each night to close down the taverns by playing and signaling to the proprietors to turn off the taps to their ale kegs and send the soldiers back to quarters. Through time this tradition transitioned to a respectful ceremonial form of evening entertainment honoring, and performed by, the military. The Edinburgh Tattoo brings military from around the world to do just that, entertain and honor those who serve! Attending this show is an experience to remember.

Military Pipers

The colorful cast from around the world.

A dance company from China entertained the crowd with 
a spectacular performance!

Dragon!

The Castle illuminated for the Chinese performance.

Performers from India

The Castle light display for the performance from India.

A group from the Citadel representing the United States.

Scotland's Colours on the castle walls.

One of many Fringe marques with St Giles Cathedral in the background.

Next up the FRINGE! The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. There are 3000 separate shows performed in 300 separate venues with a staggering 49,000 total performances over a three week period. In addition to the show venues the streets are absolutely full of performers transforming the city into a bit of a fantasy land. We spent a couple of days at the festival. We took in some of the shows inside the venues and enjoyed some serious theatre performances, some comedy performances, and a live band performance complete with the lead singer of the cabaret group "Le Haggis" sitting on Scott's lap for a song. After all of that we spent hours walking around the city taking in the abundance of street performances. 

The Royal Mile leading up to the Castle

It turns out that our timing for this trip was exceptional as, to our surprise, we woke up on Sunday morning to find that we were in Edinburgh for the Pipe-fest 2015 We were treated to a really big parade of Pipers from around the world marching down the Royal Mile!

Those Scots really know how to throw a party! We were glad to be invited in...

Loch Lomond and Inveraray Castle

Loch Lomond

"O ye`ll tak` the high road, And I'll tak` the low road, And I'll be in Scotland afore ye. But me and my true love will never meet again, By the bonnie, bonnie banks o` Loch Lomond." 

Cameron House, our home for this explore..really nice

Yep, we are off to check out some of the romantic lochs of Scotland, the kind they write songs about. We had the pleasure of staying at the Cameron House located on the shores of Loch Lomond. The Cameron House is an 18th century baronial mansion. It is named for the peninsular shoreline on which it is built and the celtic phrase "cam sron" meaning crooked nose. Cameron House Estate was home to the Smollett family who were wealthy merchants and shipbuilders. Luckily for us, in 1986 it was converted into a very nice resort.

Guests can arrive or depart by seaplane, as well as enjoy tours of the area. The weather was quite "iffy" whilst we were here, and we definitely stayed on land (notice I didn't say "dry" land).

Inveraray Castle

We were happy to learn we were close to the home of Clan Campbell and just couldn't pass it up. Inveraray Castle (Gaelic; Caisteal Inbhir Aora) is located in county Argyll on the shore of Loch Fyne which is Scotland's longest sea loch. The castle has stood on this spot since the 1400's. It was built to take on its current appearance and grandure in the 1600's. Most notably it has been the home and seat of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of Clan Campbell, since the 17th century. The13th Duke and his family live here today.

The castle was the location
for the Christmas 2012
filming of Downton Abby.

The Armory Hall with displays of 1300 weapons. 

The Armory Hall is an amazing 21 meters (63 feet) high which makes it the highest ceiling in Scotland. The hall displays 16th and 17th century armament including pole-arms, Brown Bess muskets, Lochaber axes, and Scottish Broadswords. Other items on display here bring the history of the Campbell Clan into view. Among the items is the dirk and sporran belonging to Rob Roy MacGreagor who lived from 1671 to 1734. MacGreagor, usually known simply as Rob Roy, was a famous Scottish folk hero sometimes referred to as the Scottish Robin Hood. At the age of only 18 Rob Roy joined the Jacobite rising to support Stuart King James II who had been deposed during the Glorious revolution of 1688.

Hampton Court Palace and King Henry VIII

Hampton Court Palace, the great gatehouse

Hampton Court, a royal palace in Middlesex County, England, has been home to the British Royal Family since the 16th century. The palace is located on the banks of the River Thames. The palace was first developed by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who was a close confident of King Henry VIII. In 1529 after a falling out with Wolsey, Henry VIII took over the property and began an elaborate building campaign. King Henry's court included over one thousand people and Hampton Court was expanded to accommodate all of them and then some. The palace became Henry VIII's principal residence.

The palace saw the dramatic events surrounding the King including the break of the Church of England from Rome and the 1534 Act of Supremacy which declared Henry as the "Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England". This was also home to the succession of Henry's wives, much tragedy, and the birth of Henry's children including future heirs to the throne, King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elisabeth I.

The palace is surrounded by a large estate that includes many wonderful gardens. We enjoyed a tour of the palace and a canter around the grounds. Think of how the events at this place have changed the world for all of us.

The Kings Beasts

The Great Tudor Hall

The ceiling of the Great Hall.

A young and able Henry VIII played by a character actor

The Fountain Court designed by Sir Christopher Wren 

 This is fountain Court on the east front of the Palace . It was installed by William III, and is flanked by sculpted yew trees with the palace portico in the background.

 Sir Christopher Wren's south front built for William and Mary.

This is a fully working recreation of Henry VIII's Tudor Wine Fountain that has been carefully constructed from authentic materials including timber, bronze and gold leaf.

Anne Boleyn's Gate. The Tudor gatehouse and astronomical clock, made for Henry VIII in 1540. 

Anne Boleyn was Henry's second wife who he had executed

Inside looking back through the Great Gatehouse

We spotted some Royalty for sure….

Henry VIII's first building project at Hampton Court created vast kitchens capable of feeding his court of 1,000 people. This is one of 6 major cooking fireplaces.

More of the King's Beasts

The astronomical clock, made for Henry VIII in 1540.
The amazing clock shows the time of day, the phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, the sun and star sign, and the high water at London Bridge.
The clock continues to keep time today.