More than 1,000 dancers and musicians from across the world have been putting the final touches to their performance for this year's Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The 62nd tattoo is celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a 90-minute show of military bands from Australia, Switzerland, Norway and the United States.
Performers practised routines at Redford Barracks in the capital before the show opens in front of an audience of invited guests in Edinburgh Castle tomorrow.
Tattoo producer Brigadier David Allfrey said: "We have this extraordinary show but the cast only came together on the Sunday before we go live on Thursday, so it's not like a conventional show where you can rehearse and rehearse until you get it right. We have just four days in which to bring the show to a tight place and put it in front of the public.
"Today we are getting the shape of the show together. There is still a bit of tuning to do on timings and other bits and pieces but it is all coming together nicely and I hope the audiences will be delighted with the variety on show."
Over the 25 nights of the show 220,000 people are expected to attend.
Brigadier Allfrey said the tattoo will take audiences on a journey from Scotland's ancient past to the present. As well as the story of Scotch whisky being told, it will feature an orchestral re-enactment of the Queen's coronation of 1953.
A 100-strong group of young pipers, drummers and dancers from Queen Victoria School in Dunblane are performing with pipe bands from Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, and a percussion display will be provided by the Top Secret Drum Corps from the Swiss city of Basel.
Meanwhile, this year's tattoo is the last for pony mascot Cruchan III which retires after two years of leading the Royal Regiment of Scotland at the show.
Corporal William Perrie looks after the Shetland pony on duty. He said Cruchan III stole the show last year. "Everyone just loved him. Basically he was the centre of attention every night. But he is 22 now, so 25 nights in a row is a bit much. It's time to retire to his field where he can go at his own pace."
