Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Lennox Love To Blantyre

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

LENNOX LOVE TO BLANTYRE (S8x32) 3C (4C set) RSCDS Book 6

1- 8 1s cross RH, cast 1 place, 1s+3s dance RH across ½ way
9-16 1s set twice, 3s+1s dance ½ R&L (1s end facing 1st corners)
17-24 1s set and turn 1st corners, set and turn 2nd corners
25-32 1s dance reels of 3 on opposite sides passing 1st corners LSh and cross to 2nd place on own sides

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


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Information

Lennoxlove House is a historic house set in woodlands half a mile south of Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland. The house comprises a 15th-century tower, originally known as Lethington Castle, and has been extended several times, principally in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries.

The house is protected as a category A listed building, and is described by Historic Scotland as "one of Scotland's most ancient and notable houses".

The property was purchased by the trustees of Frances Teresa Stuart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox following her death in 1702 for the benefit of her "neare and deare kinsman the said Walter Stuart". Walter Stuart was the eldest son of Alexander, 5th Lord Blantyre, and was to become the 6th Lord Blantyre on the death of his father in 1704.

The Duchess had stipulated that the property be called "Lennox's Love To Blantyre", this was subsequently shortened to Lennoxlove.

Lennoxlove is now the seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, having been purchased by the 14th Duke in 1946.

Lennoxlove House
Lennoxlove House

Lennox Love To Blantyre is also the name of an air of considerable age. It is a dance tune of the Strathspey kind, which is included in Robert Bremner's Scots Reels, 1757, page 17. Stenhouse asserts that "This tune is modelled from the air called "O dear Mother what shall I do".

According to George S. Emmerson's Scotland Through Her Country Dances, Burns wrote the words "Altho' thou maun never be mine" for "a young orphaned girl of eighteen, sister of one of Burns' colleagues..." to accompany her favourite tune "Lennox love to Blantyre".

Lennox Love To Blantyre Song - Information Video

Lennox Love Tune
Lennox Love To Blantyre, From Glen Collection Of Printed Music, Dance Music Of Scotland, Page 2


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Lennoxlove article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright M J Richardson under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
Image copyright (cropped) https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/91239701 under this Creative Commons Licence 4.0.

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