For our fifth wedding anniversary we planned two very special events. The first was to see a real Scottish Highland Games. We pointed the car towards North Berwick and drove out of the city. this was slightly more challenging than expected because every road in Edinburgh seems to be under some construction. We made it out and were quickly on the road.

North Berwick is not a large town, but it has large enough grounds to hold a sizeable games. Just as a county fair in the US, there were plenty of vendors selling their wares. There were carnival rides and food tents and we would have felt as if we hadn't left the states if there wasn't a constant shrill note from a bagpipe, a staccato rapping of snare drums and the low boom of the base drum.

The main feature of the games was a fenced in area about half the size of a football field. In the front there were two judging stations for bands. Continuing along the side was the drum major's competition and the Midlothian dog club's training display. The far corner and part of the center was dedicated to the "heavy events."

Bands came from many skill levels (each competing in a proper division) and from all sorts of foreign countries. We saw bands from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Oman. They each came in their own bus and most were warming up in the parking lot prior to their competition. It gave the whole event a very light, if cacophonous, feel.

Before checking out the "heavy events," we wandered about and watched piping competitions in groups, solo pipers, and highland dancers. Mixed in were the display of authentic (old) cars by the Rotary club, a local fire brigade truck, a crafts tent and more candies than a child could consume in a day.

We took a spot at the fence to watch the highlight of the games. Here five men (nine were originally entered) competed in five disciplines - a shot put (putting 16 lb ball), a 28 pound weight on a short chain (throwing 28 lb weight for distance), the Scottish hammer (throwing 16 lb Scots Hammer), the 56 lb stone (throwing the 56 lb weight for height), and the caber toss (tossing the caber). It's a pretty simple affair - you get four tries to throw the object farthest without fouling. The caber is scored based on whether you are able to flip it and if so, how close to 12:00 does it land. If you can't flip it, how many degrees can you get it to achieve (check out the video: successful flip, unsuccessful flip).

Right from the start a massive man named Bruce Rob (we think) took the lead. The only person who had a shot was a powerful bulldog of a man who competed and won at the masters international championships. Style is not the most important factor - form and strength rule here. We were surprised to find a fellow American competing. This was his first competition in Scotland and you could tell he was looking for helpful hints at each event. The competition is slow and took more hours than we expected, but it was worth it to hang in and see the caber tossed live. It was a very impressive show and Bruce dominated the field to win every event. The American tried hard but was out of his depth, finishing last.

The second significant event was to attend the 2009 Edinburgh Military Tattoo. This is a celebration of military bands and precision performance. Oddly enough, the word tattoo is really a combination of a phrase in Gaelic that means "to turn the taps off" and was said every night at closing time in the bar. We're still a little confused about how that fits in!

Even with tickets, everyone begins to queue forty-five minutes before the program starts. The police shut down the Royal Mile and the queue winds it's way from the side of Edinburgh Castle around to the front gate. The crowd is excited and there is an electricity in the air. It has the same energy as a major sports championship in the United States. The queue moves briskly and narrows as the streets narrow.

Suddenly, you are through and walking into the parade grounds. Stands are set up in a rectangle with the far wall being the brightly lit front of Edinburgh Castle. We took our seats - some of the best in the house - directly opposite from the castle gate and centered on the grounds. All of the action would be directly in front of us. Just a note - the seats are small and you will get to know your neighbor very well.

The lights went out and the show began. The massed pipe and drums, 250 in total, paraded out from the castle gates and set an amazing tone for the rest of the event. It proceeded at a frenetic pace through the performance bands from Oman and Togo. A Chinese group performed and then there was a demonstration of field medicine followed by the Swiss military band. One of the highlights of the night was the performance of the Swiss Top Secret drumming corps. Their super fast hands whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they passed sticks to each other and used each other's drums. Their finale was in a blackened stage with flaming drumsticks. It was excellent!

The Tattoo concluded with every performer entering the ground and all playing together. We stood for "God Save the Queen" and joined hands for "Auld Lang Syne." Then the commander ordered everyone at ease and we all enjoyed a closing fireworks show. It was an outstanding event.

We should add a word or two about the Fringe festival. We didn't have a chance to work the festival into our schedule, but there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of events in venues from our hotel to a large purple cow laying on it's back, feet and udders in the air. Comedy seems to be the largest category of performance. When you walk around town, people in all sorts of costumes hand out pamphlets attempting to lure you to their show. It is truly a wild place with all of this going on.

Hotel: Jury's Inn
Restaurant(s): La Rusticana (Italian)
Attractions: North Berwick Highland Games, Edinburgh Military Tattoo