The Wigtown Cross

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE WIGTOWN CROSS (R88) Sq.Set R Goldring G and S Dances 2

1- 8 1s and 3s turn RH 1¼ times, Men followed by ptnrs dance thru cple to their right (1s thru 4s and 3s thru 2s) and cast anticl'wise to change pl (Ladies on L)
9-16 2s and 4s repeat
17-24 1s and 3s repeat but with Ladies Leading
25-32 2s and 4s repeat (all back in original places)
33-40 1s+3s set to partners and change places RH All 4 Ladies dance ½ RandL on the diagonal
41-48 All 4 Men dance ½ RandL on other diagonal, 2s and 4s set to partners and change places RH (all now in opposite places)
49-64 1s+3s repeat bars 33-48 but change places LH (all now back in original places)
65-72 All Ladies dance a Fig of 8 round their partner and next Man passing in front of partner to start and behind next Man
73-80 All Men dance Figs of 8 round partner and next Lady passing in front of partner to start and behind next Lady
81-88 All circle 8H round and back

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

Dance Information

Wigtown is a town and former royal burgh in the Machars of Galloway in the south west of Scotland, south of Newton Stewart and east of Stranraer. It has a population of about 1,000 and is well known today as 'Scotland's National Book Town', home to a wealth of second-hand book shops.

The earliest reference to the market cross and tron of Wigtown occurs in the 1457 charter. It appears that the market cross stood in front of the old court house and was removed for a short time in the 18th century. While the square was under construction, the market cross was stored in the jail, A second market cross was erected in the main street in 1816, and at some point the original was brought out of its confinement and placed to the west of it. At some time later the older market cross was repaired, re-painted, and re-sited to the east of the second.

The Original Wigtown Market Cross

Dance Information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence.
Text from this original Wigtown article on Wikipedia.
Image Copyright Shaun Bythell.

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