Serving personnel from the north of Scotland will proudly march through the streets of Elgin today to launch the Highland Military Tattoo.
The Pipes and Drums of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Queen’s Colour Squadron of the RAF Regiment will head up the High Street and perform on the Plainstones at 12.30pm.
The taster in Elgin has become an annual curtain-raiser to the Tattoo, which will be held at Fort George from today until Sunday.
This year, it is commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the formation of the RAF Regiment. The internationally renowned Queen’s Colour Squadron will be making their first appearance in the Highlands.
Participants from Moray include the Typhoons in the flypast, 51 Squadron and the Pipe Bands of 2622 Squadron and RAF Lossiemouth as well as those from Forres and Gordonstoun School.
A team from 39 Engineer Regiment at Kinloss will compete in the Armed Forces Competition.
A special act this year will be Ceol Na Clarsach – a young clarsach and fiddle group from the Elgin area.
The Black Watch Pipes and Drums from Fort George recently came first in their grade at The World Pipe Band Championships –as they had done earlier in the year at the European Pipe Band Championship in Forres.
Major General Seymour Monro, the Tattoo Director, who hails from Dallas, said: “This short parade in Elgin gives us a chance to promote the Tattoo and importantly to say thank you to all of our supporters and sponsors in Moray.
“It may be called the Highland Military Tattoo, but in every sense, it is a tattoo from and for the Highlands and Moray.
“I am most grateful to the convener, Councillor James Allan, and his fellow councillors for hosting this event. I hope to see many Moray folk at the Tattoo.”
Tickets can be bought via the website: www.highlandmilitarytattoo.co.uk, from Ticketline at www.ticketline.co.uk/highland-military-tattoo, from The Highlander’s Museum at Fort George or from Eden Court Theatre in Inverness.
It is also possible to book specific seats at www.highlandmilitarytattoo.com/how-to-bookyour-tickets
