A Bucket-List Journey from Vancouver to the Castle Esplanade: one piper’s path to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – Part 1

As former Grade 1 band piper Owen Reid of Vancouver wrote about in his much-read feature “A Second Time Around: one piper’s 30-year journey back to enjoying pipe bands again,” there’s life after high-pressure competition for Highland pipers.

In his new three-part piece, Owen takes us on a new adventure: auditioning, being accepted, and performing as a member of the 2025 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes & Drums. We hope you enjoy his recount of what is an extraordinary experience for pipers and drummers of any age.

By Owen Reid

October 14, 2024

It was decided at practice: my band wouldn’t be travelling anywhere in the summer of 2025. After seven years of international trips – to China, India, Switzerland (twice), France, Belgium, and Halifax, Nova Scotia – I was expecting a quiet summer at home.

Or so I thought.

My band, the Vancouver Police Pipe Band, had played at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo twice in its long history. The veterans’ stories constantly stirred something in me – tales of the Castle’s grandeur, the food comparisons between Redford Barracks and Pollock Halls (Pollock wins), and the unforgettable march down the Royal Mile to “Scotland the Brave” and “The Black Bear.”

Each story made me quietly envious. The Tattoo was the only major piping event I’d never done. Then I discovered an option – joining the House Band, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (REMT) Pipes & Drums. And I do like a challenge.

“‘There are more places in the world besides Scotland.’ My stock reply: ‘No, there aren’t.’ Eventually, she relented. It was, after all, a bucket-list experience.”

Of course, first came the negotiation with She Who Must Be Obeyed. Her usual protest: “There are more places in the world besides Scotland.” My stock reply: “No, there aren’t.” Eventually, she relented. It was, after all, a bucket-list experience.

I scoured the Tattoo’s website and sent in my application.

November 14, 2024

An email landed in my inbox:

“Applications are now live to join the Tattoo Pipes and Drums for REMT25!”

The details were crystal clear: time commitment, age requirements, impeccable dress and deportment, and complete responsibility for travel costs. Applicants needed to submit a video audition by January 24th.

Included were three test tunes: “Bonnie Dundee,” “Sandy’s New Chanter,” and a tricky two-part jig,  along with a request to perform a four-part strathspey and reel of our own choosing.

I buried myself in my office with my Blair Chanter and got to work. With two months to prepare, I chose “Blair Drummond” and “The Sound of Sleat” for my strathspey and reel. Out of competition since 1982, I sent the complete set to Hal Senyk for critique. Hal’s reply was a full-page list of my deficiencies, both humbling and helpful.

December 18, 2024

Video audition sent.

I didn’t want anything hanging over my head during Christmas. Every piper knows that gnawing uncertainty after recording: Were the breaks clean? Did I rush the third part? Did the drones settle? Too late to change anything now.

February 7, 2025

Then came the email:

“I’m delighted to offer you a place as a piper in the band.”
Signed, Alisdair McLaren.

I exhaled.

I was in.

But who exactly was Alisdair McLaren? After a 30-year break from piping (see my pipes|drums article “A Second Time Around”), I’d lost track of many prominent names. A quick search revealed an impressive résumé: former Director of the National Piping Centre, pipe-major of the Glasgow Police Pipe Band, and former member of Field Marshal Montgomery. A serious player indeed.

February 14-20, 2025

I confirmed my acceptance and soon received the tune list:

• “The Heroes That Made Us”
• “Now That’s What I Call a Tattoo”
• “Edinburgh 900 – Dance Set”
• “Finale”

My friend Rod Booth, a previous participant (and fellow 2025 recruit), told me not to worry about the Dance Set; only a few pipers were chosen for it.

When faced with a mountain of new music, I’ve learned to start with the most difficult pieces. I was familiar with about half, but many needed “unlearning and relearning.” Sound files arrived, and although I often tell my students not to rely on them, I found myself clinging to every one.

With the Blair in hand, I transitioned to full pipes, reading from my laptop while listening through headphones, fingers slowly finding their rhythm again.

June 2025

The sets were finally coming together when a new email landed: I’d been selected for the Dance Set after all.

Another challenge. The tunes included “The Old Wife of the Mill Dust” (six parts), a pair of two-parters, and all six parts of “The Mason’s Apron.”

“Four days, two hours a day, relentless practice. At 186 bpm, it was manageable. At 196, nerve-wracking. At 206, a full-blown disaster in the fifth and sixth parts.”

I’d admired “The Mason’s Apron” for decades and relished finally learning it. Then I noticed the sound files – 186 bpm, 196 bpm, and 206 bpm.

Four days, two hours a day, relentless practice. At 186 bpm, it was manageable. At 196, nerve-wracking. At 206, a full-blown disaster in the fifth and sixth parts. My 64-year-old fingers simply didn’t have the same agility they once did.

Rod Booth had warned me about the Dance Set’s blistering tempo. I sighed, emailed Alisdair, and graciously withdrew from that section. Still, I’d finally conquered all six parts of “The Mason’s Apron” – a small personal victory.

July 17, 2025

One week before my flight, another email: “Harmony players needed.”

I couldn’t resist.

I’d only ever played harmonies once before, but I accepted. Ten tunes already locked in, I spent the next five days in a disciplined routine: early-morning practice, mid-afternoon refinement, pre-dinner review. The Blair’s metronome kept my timing sharp, and the MP3 sound files became my constant companions.

By week’s end, I was confident. Bags packed. Pipes polished. The flight to Edinburgh less than 24 hours away.

To be continued . . .

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for Part 2 of Owen Reid’s three-part 2025 Edinburgh Tattoo Experience, coming soon.

Owen Reid is a member of the Vancouver Police Pipe Band and a lifelong piper who returned to competition after a 30-year hiatus. He was a member of Grade 1 Triumph Street in the 1970s and 80s. His work has appeared in pipes|drums, where he chronicled his return to piping in “A Second Time Around: One piper’s 30-year journey back to enjoying pipe bands again.”