Pipes Will Skirl With Tartans A-swirl All At A Stadium Near You

Sun Herald

Sunday January 23, 2005

By CAROLINE MARCUS

AUSSIE Stadium will become a 25-metre high, life-size replica of the majestic Edinburgh Castle complete with drawbridge, sentry boxes and cannons next month as one of the world's greatest cultural extravaganzas draws thousands of visitors to our shores.

The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which is traditionally performed at the Scottish castle, will feature more than 1200 performers from across the globe. The massed pipes and drums, military pageantry and ever-popular highland dancers attract an annual crowd of more than 200,000.

For only the second time in its history, the tattoo will travel overseas, following its success in New Zealand in 2000. It is expected to bring $60 million in revenue to Sydney, Tourism Minister Sandra Nori said. "This is fantastic exposure for Sydney and keeps the city fresh in the minds of potential tourists," she said.

The tattoo began in 1950 as the army's contribution to the Edinburgh International Festival, but is now widely regarded as an event of world cultural significance.

Organisers expect an audience to rival Edinburgh's, with three of its five performances and the dress rehearsal already sold out.

Australia will be well-represented in the highland dancing, where a troupe of 150 Ozscot dancers will be joined by a Scottish contingent of just 24.

Ozscot dancer Caroline McFarland, 22, comes from a highland flinging family. She was introduced to the dance at the age of five by her Scottish mother.

"I'm very excited because it's bringing something of Scotland to Australia," she said.

"It'll be more rowdy [in Australia]," added sister Kylie, 27.

Highland dancer Melissa Beattie, 27, performed in the tattoo in Edinburgh last year and is looking forward to reliving the experience.

"It was fantastic," she said.