Project Managing The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

This August marks the 75th anniversary of the iconic Scottish military celebration, which takes place at Edinburgh Castle throughout the month, (although it’s had its own battle with Storm Floris to contend with). The programme includes 900 international performers, who parade with the massed pipes and drums of the Scottish miliary regiments.

Richard Burgham Pearson, Associate Director at Thomas & Adamson, project manages the construction of the three stands and accommodation for the performers on Edinburgh Castle esplanade (providing almost 9,000 seats in less than two months. As the son of historians, he explains, he couldn't be more excited to work atop Castle Rock. But what is involved in putting on this iconic event (and dealing with the likes of Rod Stewart and Tom Jones)? We wanted to find out more…

Q. What’s the timeframe you work to?

Works to erect the stands commences at the start of May, with the temporary installations required to be completed by the end of June ahead of a series of Castle Concerts held at the arena prior to the Tattoo performances commencing. Works to remove the infrastructure commences the day after the last show with the esplanade empty by mid-October. Between October and May each year works are ongoing, whether it be maintenance or enhancement to the stands.

Q. What project management approach do you take?

It focuses on time management, having the correct governance in place alongside performance monitoring, and tracking the project progress against the plan. I also manage changes to the project scope, schedule, and costs, and ensure that the project meets the defined quality standards and continuously assessing and addressing risks.

Q. What do you enjoy about working on the project?

It is a completely unique project to provide almost 9,000 seats in less than two months of build time on a castle esplanade. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of working with the project team to meet the programme dates whilst maintaining access to the castle for the thousands of tourist making their journey up the Royal Mile.

The collaboration and strong professional relationships that have been formed throughout the team – contractor, design team and the client is key to its success. Everyone is invested in making sure the arena is ready for the thousands of attendees each year.

As the son of two historians, I could not be more excited that I get to work in the atop Castle Rock. Its history spans several centuries, making it one of the most significant landmarks in Scotland. Archaeological evidence suggests that Castle Rock has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age, around 2,000 years ago, with the first recorded mention of a castle on the site dating back to the reign of King David I in the 12th century, although it is likely that fortifications existed before then. Not many construction sites have a similar history!

Q. What have been the biggest challenges this year?

Unfortunately for the first time is many years a performance was cancelled due to the heavy rain and strong winds of Storm Floris. The health and safety of the public, performers and staff are priority, hence the decision to cancel the performance. All went to plan the next day however since then we have had an incredible stretch of good weather.

Q. What important project management have you learnt?

First, clear and regular communication to ensure all stakeholders are kept informed through concise and regular updates. Given the location of the project and a short programme, a proactive risk identification process is certainly required to identify potential risks early in the project and develop strategies to mitigate them.

It’s also important to maintain thorough and robust documentation for transparency and future reference whilst providing clear and regular reports to stakeholders on project progress.

Finally, you need to embrace change - just to be prepared to adapt to changes and unforeseen challenges and have an agile mindset to foster a culture of flexibility and continuous improvement throughout the project timeline.

Q, Which stakeholders do you work with?

The project involves a huge amount of stakeholders – from Historic Environment Scotland, local government and authority officers to local businesses and residents. The project also covers summer concerts where musicians of varying genres perform to packed audiences in early July each year. So, you could add that the likes of Rod Stewart and Tom Jones as stakeholders.

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo charity is a key stakeholder as the client (it operates the arena), directors and producers who plan and design the performances, and the performers themselves – it’s vital that they are all part of the project journey. Another key stakeholder are the thousands of people visiting the castle while works are ongoing, and the members of the public who come to watch the Tattoo during its run in August.