The Buchan Eightsome Reel

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE BUCHAN EIGHTSOME REEL (R10x40) Sq.Set RSCDS Bk 21
Part 1 1- 8 All dance 8H round and back
9-16 All dance Grand Chain ½ way
17-24 Ladies dance into centre and dance RH across with partners on their left (St Andrews cross) once round
25-32 All dance Grand Chain ½ way
33-40 Men dance into centre with partners on their right and dance LH across once round
Part 2 1- 8 All circle 7H round and back with 1L in centre
9-16 1L sets to partner and turns RH (Elbow grip), sets to opposite Man and turns LH
17-24 1L sets to M originally on her right and turns LH, sets to opp M and turns RH
25-40 1L dances reel of 3 with partner and opposite Man (RSh to partner) then dances reel with other Men (LSh to M on right)
Repeat with 2L in centre then 3L, 4L, 1M, 2M, 3M and 4M
Part 3 Repeat Part 1

(MINICRIB, Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton. Deeside Caledonian Society.)

The Buchan Eightsome Reel
Anon   RSCDS Book 21
Reel   400 bars   4 Couple Repeat   4 Couple Set   Square Set

1-40        Chorus:
1-8          8 hands round and back;
9-16        grand chain halfway;
17-24      Ls inside, Mn outside, right hands across, all the way round;
25-32      grand chain halfway;
33-40      Mn inside, Ls outside, left hands across, all the way round.
41-80      1L's Solo:
41-48      1L dance any solo setting step in the centre WHILE all except 1L 7 hands round and back;
49-52      1L, with partner, set and turn by the right;
53-56      1L, with opposite M, set and turn by the left;
57-60      1L, with second corner (M originally on her right), set and turn by the left;
61-64      1L, with first corner (M originally on her left), set and turn by the right;
65-72      1L, with partner (giving right shoulder) and opposite M, reel of 3 across;
73-80      1L, with second corner (giving left shoulder) and first corner, reel of 3 across, all finishing in original places.
81-120    2L repeat 1L's Solo.
121-160  3L repeat 1L's Solo.
161-200  4L repeat 1L's Solo.
201-240  1M repeat 1L's Solo.
241-280  2M repeat 1L's Solo.
281-320  3M repeat 1L's Solo.
321-360  4M repeat 1L's Solo.
361-400  All repeat Chorus (bars 1-40).

(MAXICRIB, Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle.)

Dance Information

Buchan is an historic district and earldom, shown on maps as early as 1708. The Earldom of Mar and Buchan formed one of the seven original Scottish earldoms; later the Earl of Buchan became separated from Mar. There is also a town of Buchan. The district was eventually combined into the county of Aberdeenshire, along with Marr and later The Mearns.

Buchan is currently one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The council area was formed by merging three districts of the Grampian region, Banff and Buchan, Gordon and Kincardine and Deeside.

Buchan District

Dance Information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence.
Text from this original Buchan article on Wikipedia.
Image Copyright Morwen.

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