Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Cumberland Jig

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

The Cumberland Jig
Anon RSCDS Book 1 (adapted by Reuben Freemantle)
Jig 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set
This is a version of Cumberland Reel with only 8 bars for the casting and leading back up starting on bar 17. Beginners find this timing more intuitive than the 12-bar timing in the RSCDS original.

  1-4   1s2s right hands across;

  5-8   1s2s left hands across;

  9-16 1s take both hands and slip down and back;

17-20 1s followed by 2s 3s 4s cast on own sides to the bottom;

21-24 with nearer hands joined, 1s followed by 2s 3s 4s lead to the top, 2s finishing in 1st place;

25-28 taking right hands, 1s lead down under arches made by 2s 3s 4s;

29-32 2s 3s 4s 1s turn by the right, slowly.

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

Dance Notes

  9-16 It is easier to flow into the casting after leading up with slip step; if skip change is preferred, lead down with nearer hands joined, finish facing each other on bar 12 and lead up with nearer hands joined.

17-22 Take 4 bars to get to the bottom.

23-28 Take 4 bars to get back to 1 place higher than you started ready for the arches.


Dance Instruction Videos

The Cumberland Jig - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Also see The Cumberland Jig (3-Couple Version) by Anon, adapted for 3 couples by Reuben Freemantle.

This is a version of Cumberland Reel with only 8 bars for the casting and leading back up starting on bar 17. Beginners find this timing more intuitive than the 12-bar timing in the RSCDS original.


Cumberland is a historic county of North West England that had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974.

It was bordered by Northumberland to the east, County Durham to the southeast, Westmorland and Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish counties of Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire to the north. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 (excluding Carlisle from 1914) and now forms part of Cumbria.

Cumbria is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972.

Cumberland
Map Of Cumberland From The Atlas To The Topographical Dictionary Of England', Edited By Samuel Lewis 1845. Drawn By R. Creighton, Engraved By T. Starling.


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Cumberland article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright R. Creighton, T. Starling, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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