Part of a Dundee landmark took to the skies on Tuesday as it prepared to take centre stage at this year’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
The figurehead of the HMS Unicorn was lifted by aerial platform from its home at Victoria Dock ahead of its moment in the spotlight as part of next month’s show.
The symbol will mark the role of the Royal Navy in the history of the British military, along with six cannon from the vessel that will travel from the Tay to over the Forth. The items will form part of a mock sailing ship at this year’s celebration, so that Dundee’s role in British maritime history will be on display to the world.
Unicorn Preservation Society operations manager Roderick Stewart said, “The organisers were looking for information at first regarding gunnery in the period of the Battle of Trafalgar but, the more we thought about it, the more we realised we could actually contribute to the performance. You can’t have a ship without a figurehead and so it seemed obvious that we donate ours to the tattoo.”
The Unicorn, which was launched in 1824, is the sixth oldest ship in the world and the only preserved warship in Scotland. Brought to Dundee in 1873, she was the navy’s reserve training ship in the Tay for almost a century and is now a tourist attraction.
As an example of a vessel from when Britannia really did rule the waves, organisers were keen to feature some of the Unicorn’s period features in the tattoo a show that attracts over 200,000 spectators every year, as well as a massive television audience worldwide.
After a nervous two-hour process on Tuesday afternoon, workmen carefully lifted the figurehead from its place at the prow of the ship, installing a like-for-like substitute.
“Things involving big ships always take a long time,” said a relieved Mr Stewart following the changeover, “but the Edinburgh Tattoo is one of the biggest shows in Scotland and to have the Unicorn appearing in it is fantastic.”
The Unicorn’s fixtures will appear in 22 days of tattoo performances, which begin on August 5.