Connected by a Call to Scotland
Audience member stunned to see her great-great uncle projected onto Edinburgh Castle during The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2026.
A chance visit to Scotland, a statue in Princes Street Gardens and a family story spanning more than a century.
Some coincidences are so unlikely, they feel meant to be.
We weren't expecting this
Alyssa Hendrie, an audience member from Los Angeles, was taken completely by surprise when she saw her great-great uncle projected onto Edinburgh Castle as part of The Call statue sequence during this year's Tattoo, A Call to Gather.
What is The Call 1914 statue?
The Call statue, situated in Princes Street Gardens, was the inspiration behind this year's Show.
Commissioned as a memorial, it honours those who left their home country in search of a better life but answered the call to return home when the First World War broke out to support and defend their country. The statue faces Edinburgh Castle, depicting a soldier waiting and ready to answer the call to service.
Funded largely by Scottish descendants living in the United States, the statue was created by sculptor Robert Tait McKenzie. At the time, McKenzie was a professor and Director of Physical Education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was asked to work on the memorial.
Alyssa's great-great uncle, Donald Hendrie, was a student at the university and a member of its rowing team. He knew McKenzie through the university, who asked him if he would model for the sculpture.
Through the generations, stories have been passed down about Alyssa's great-great uncle and his link to the statue that now stands in Princes Street Gardens.
Alyssa has visited the statue multiple times since 2005, drawn by her Scottish heritage and the stories passed down through her family. For her, it carries a powerful message about the ties between Scotland and United States, made even more personal by the fact that her own great-great uncle played a significant role in bringing the sculpture to life.
Present day: August 2026
Fast forward to August 2026, and Alyssa's best friend asked if she would join her on a trip to Scotland, a place they both felt connected to.
While they were there, her friend booked tickets to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Alyssa had no idea of the Show's meaning, or its unexpected link to her own family history.
Then, as The Call statue appeared on Edinburgh Castle, she realised she was looking at her own great-great uncle.
Alyssa shares the moment she realised it was Donald on the castle, and what it felt like:
It looks so like him, and my other male relatives in the family. I was speechless, and I didn't know whether to cry. This was the biggest shock of my entire life.
This is a moment I'll tell my grandkids. It's a story I want passed down in a hundred years' time.
A Call to Gather was created to bring people together. But we never expected one audience member to discover such a personal link to The Call statue, while watching the Show.
A story that began more than a century ago had found its way back to Edinburgh, and into the heart of the Tattoo.
Experience the Tattoo for yourself
Could your visit to the Tattoo become part of your own story? Join us in 2027 for The Same Heart Beat and create your own memories at Edinburgh Castle.
Running from 6-28 August 2027.
Tickets are on sale now: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0yVLgr0
08 October 2026