Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Edinburgh Tattoo is a show given by military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. The event takes place annually, as part of the Edinburgh Festival, a collective name for many independent festivals and events taking place in Edinburgh throughout August.
The word "tattoo" originally dates from the seventeenth century when British Army units were stationed in the Low Countries. Drummers from the garrison were sent out into the towns each evening to summon the soldiers to return to barracks. The process was known as Doe den tap toe or just tap toe and encouraged the inn keepers to "turn off the taps", stop serving beer and send the soldiers back for the night.