Braes Of Atholl

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s set, cast 1 place, set and cast 1 place (Lady up and Man down)
9-16 1s dance reels of 3 on 'diagonals' (1M with 2L+3L, LSh to 2L to start; 1L with 3M+2M, LSh to 3M to start; 2M+3L dance straight across set to enter reels)
17-24 1s pass RSh to dance reel of 3 on own sides (1M RSh to 2M, 1L RSh to 3L to start) 1s dance extra loop to end facing 1st corners
25-32 1s set to and turn 1st corner, set to and turn 2nd corner, finish in middle nearer hands joined facing Men's side (1L on 1M LH side)
33-40 1s dance out between 2M+3M, cast round nearer corner, meet in centre, dance out on Ladies' side, cast round nearer corner and dance to 2nd place

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

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Braes Of Atholl - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

Walsh called the dance "Athol Brays"

(Dance information copyright, reproduced here with the kind permission of George Williams)

The tune Braes Of Atholl has an early history of its own and is found in David Young's Drummond Castle Manuscript of 1734. It was subsequently included in Robert Bremner's collection of Scots reels in 1757.

Brae is a Scots word meaning a hillside, hill, slope or bank; the plural is braes. Atholl is a historic district in the Scottish Highlands, forming part of what is now Perth and Kinross, Scotland.

Atholl includes the area around Blair Atholl, Pitlochry and Dunkeld and is crossed by the rivers Tay, Tummel and Garry.

Cairn On The Atholl Estate At The Top Of The Steep Brae To The North Of Glen Banvie

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