The Bermuda Regiment's charm offensive on Scotland's capital has continued - with a special birthday treat for Edinburgh's new Lord Provost.

The Regiment band and Gombeys joined thousands of other performers from the Military Tattoo and the Edinburgh Festivals for the annual cavalcade through the city streets to mark the official start of the programme.

But the Regiment stole the show yet again when they stopped at the reviewing stand occupied by new Edinburgh Lord Provost Lesley Hinds - and launched into a special arrangement of "Happy Birthday" by Regiment Bandmaster Barrett Dill.

Maj. Dill said: "I heard later she was very surprised and moved. And the crowd were great - they started to sing along as well."

The surprise for Ms Hynds was organised by Military Tattoo director Brigadier Mel Jameson, who drafted in the Regiment Band and drums to do the honours for Ms Hynds.

Maj. Dill said: "We were, of course, delighted to help - I think people were surprised when, instead of marching past the reviewing stand, we performed a right turn and launched into "Happy Birthday".

"Then we stepped off to the same tune as a march - it was absolutely wonderful to see the delight on people's faces."

A spokeswoman for the Lord Provost - the equivalent of an English Lord Mayor - said: "The Lord Provost was delighted and thrilled. I don't think she realised it was meant for her at first - it was a lovely gesture and I suspect she'll have a soft spot for Bermuda for ever now."

The Regiment's latest coup came at Sunday's Festival Cavalcade when performers from the Arts Festivals and the Tattoo put on a special parade through the city streets. More than 160,000 people lined the famous Princes Street to watch.

And the Regiment and Gombeys are planning to consolidate their hold on the country with a series of concerts across the country, beginning in Glasgow's showpiece George Square this morning. Tomorrow, the Regiment and Gombeys will perform at a lunchtime concert at Edinburgh Castle prior to the evening Tattoo performance.

And on Sunday lunchtime, the Regiment moves operations to the historic city of Stirling and its ancient castle - scene of many of the major events in Scotland's history.

These include the victories of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn during Scotland's 14th century Wars of Independence against the invading English - battles immortalised in the Oscar-winning Mel Gibson film "Braveheart".

The Stirling concert is a `thank you' tribute to the Bank of Bermuda, the main sponsor of the Regiment and Gombeys triumphant trip to Scotland, which has an office in Stirling.

The Regiment will also perform at a whisky distillery in nearby Aberfeldy, Perthshire - owned by Bermuda-based Bacardi, another sponsor of the trip - as part of the town's own Tattoo.

Maj. Dill has also been invited to be a guest of the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow.

Maj. Dill said: "We're certainly working hard but we're enjoying every minute of it and our audiences are too and that's what it's all about."