Queenstowner Erica Hastie prepares for her performance at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo early on Wednesday, New Zealand time.

The Scottish-expat fiddle player was selected as one of 16 fiddlers in the core band, which is performing on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade from August 7 until August 29.

The violin teacher also plays in Ceol, a Queenstown Irish band, which has weekly gigs in Queenstown and Arrowtown.

Ms Hastie’s trip to Scotland was helped along with a “Get Erica to Edinburgh” ceilidh fundraiser at Queenstown’s Te Atamira in June.

REPORT: TRACEY ROXBURGH / PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER