Cheviot Gate
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Cheviot Gate A thirty-two bar Strathspey for four couples in a longwise set. Devised by John W Mitchell, Published in Whetherly Book 10.1- 2 First and fourth couples turn with the right hand to face out.
3- 4 First couple cast off into second place, second couple step up, whilst fourth couple cast up into third place and third couple step down.
5- 8 First couple dance a half figure eight round second couple who are above them, whilst fourth couple dance a half figure of eight round third couple who are below them. First and fourth couples finish back to back facing their corners, i.e. the person whom they have each just cast around.
9-10 First and fourth couples change places with their corners giving right hands in passing, i.e. first man with second lady, first lady with second man, third man with fourth lady and third lady with fourth man.
11-12 Second and third couples dance left hands across in a wheel three quarters round to face corners.
13-14 Second and third couples change places with their corners giving right hands in passing, i.e. first man with second man, first lady with third man, third lady with fourth lady and second lady with fourth man.
15-16 First and fourth couples dance left hands across in a wheel three quarters round to finish facing their corners. They will be facing the same person as at the end of bar eight, the whole set having revolved places one quarter clockwise.
17-24 Repeat bars 9-16 to finish with third couple in first place on opposite side, fourth couple in second place on own side facing out, first couple in third place on own side facing out and second couple in fourth place on opposite side.
25-28 First and second couples dance a half a double figure eight, first couple cast down whilst second couple cross to commence, at the same time, third and fourth couples dance half a double figure of eight, third couple crossing whilst fourth couple cast up to commence.
29-30 All join hands on the sides and set.
31-32 First and fourth couples dance right hands across in a wheel half way. Finish in the order 3, 1, 4, 2.
Repeat with a new top couple. Recommended tune: Cheviot Gate
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 10, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell. Instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).
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