It’s that time of year, and whichever team you support, heading to Murrayfield is such a fantastic experience. The walk West towards the stadium from Haymarket, and indeed the walk back into town (after a riotous Scottish win) is an iconic feature of the fabulous location of Murrayfield. The tram will take you to the gates, but the 1.8 mile pre-match build-up is much more fun – think bagpipes, flags, singing….
.Just to add to the spectacle, the Scottish (unofficial) National Anthem is started by a lone piper, up on the roof of the East stand, before the pipe band takes up the tune of Flower of Scotland. To add to the drama, the pipe band only play the first verse, (we all skip the second, I don’t know why), and then the crowd sing the third. Spine tingling. The anthem is about sending ‘proud Edward’s army’ home again – we Scots had a hard time with the English King Edward II, until Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, defeated him at Bannockburn in 1314. As a wee nation we celebrated the rare victories. And there is no greater rivalry than the Calcutta Cup – the oldest trophy contested between two International rugby union teams, Scotland and England – first played for in 1879.
You can normally buy tickets for games at Murrayfield, although some games are more popular than others. Autumn Internationals often offer a cheaper and easier way in. Scottish Rugby Union