ONCE again, Edinburgh is faced with the need to make a quick decision on a vital installation and, while new stands for the Castle esplanade are obviously not on the same scale as the Forth Road Bridge, nonetheless their absence and the resulting disappearance of the Military Tattoo is unthinkable.
The current stands have served the event faithfully for over 30 years and, when it is remembered that the Tattoo generates annual revenues in excess of £30 million a year for the Scottish economy, spending £15m now to safeguard its future for decad
es to come is more than a sound investment.
Considering the national value of this iconic event it is only right that the organisers are asking the government to make a substantial contribution. And with in excess of 200,000 spectators buying tickets each year and a worldwide TV audience of 100 million, it should not be too difficult to obtain private-sector support to make up any shortfall.
There has been much debate over the years as to both the location of the Tattoo and the impact staging it on the Esplanade has on the city's skyline.
Certainly, from a spectator's point of view, the backdrop enhances the experience, as do the spectacular views to be had from the grandstands over the Forth and to the Pentlands.
But the effect is that for almost half of the year, the skyline is blotted by either having ugly scaffolding in place or being dismantled or erected. The new system would cut this time by almost a quarter which should placate those who objected to the old seating.
But perhaps of greater importance is that by being forced to make a snap decision on the purchase of new scaffolding, the debate over the best location has effectively been ended.
The suggestion to switch the Tattoo to a purpose-built arena in Princes Street Gardens has been gaining support, especially with the growing number of major events taking place at the ageing Ross Bandstand.
The proposal to open up space and create a closer relationship with the Castle Rock by covering over the railway line was worthy of exploration, but, as far as the Tattoo is concerned, there simply isn't enough time to go through the tortuous consultation and planning process it would inevitably entail.
Plans for a new bandstand were presented two years ago but there has been little progress. Any proposal to proceed is likely to be met with resistance, but nothing compared to that which would meet a grander plan. Remember the Princes Street Galleries?
Like the Forth Road Bridge, the clock is now ticking and the only way to safeguard the continuity of the Tattoo is to move ahead with the plan to install modern stands without further ado.
But the bandstand should not be forgotten and left to rot to the point where, like the old grandstands it, too, is past its sell-by date.
The full article contains 495 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
