Encountering Douglas

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1st couple dance a figure of eight on their own sides, starting down between 2nd couple and joining hands where possible.
9-12 All half turn their partner with both hands, face them briefly (say goodbye!) and cast away to the opposite side. 1st and 2nd men stay facing down.
13-16 2nd and 1st men dance down in tandem, loop left shoulder around 3rd man and cast up the side to end in exchanged places.
 All are on the opposite side with the men in the order 2,1,3 and the women 1,2,3.
17-24 All dance a three couple Bourrel, starting and ending on the opposite side:
 17-20: 1st couple and 2nd woman with 3rd man each dance the inner role (set advancing, half turn and twirl away) while 2nd man and 3rd woman chase half way anticlockwise.
 21-24: All set and turn three quarters with both hands to the opposite side facing clockwise.
 The men end in the order 1,3,2 and the women in the order 3,1,2.
25-28 All chase half way round clockwise to their own side opposite the same person. 1st and 2nd women stay facing down. 2nd couple are (briefly) opposite their partner at the top.
29-32 1st and 2nd women dance down in tandem, loop left shoulder around 3rd woman and cast up the side to end in exchanged places. 2nd woman faces in and slightly down.
 All are now on their own side with the women in the order 1,2,3 and the men 2,3,1.
33-40 All dance a three couple Espagnole:
 Those in 1st and 2nd men's places, also those in 2nd and 3rd women's places, lead across with the right hand and cross over while those in 1st woman's and 3rd man's places dance across singly.
 All repeat this pattern from their new places to end opposite their partner.
 3rd and 2nd couples, in 1st and 3rd places, turn once round with the left hand while 1st couple (in 2nd place) turn once round with the right hand. The final order is 3,1,2.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA December 2025)

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Dance Information

I dance with the London Gay Gordons. After our class one evening in December 2025 I had a tap on the shoulder in the nearby pub – and there was Douglas – in the UK to visit his son who lives locally!

So this dance is full of unexpected meetings: everyone will leave and regain their partner and dance with both their partner and other people at different times.

Recommended music: Suggested tune: Miss Caroline Campbell (William McLeish).
 Suitable recording: Dancing for Pleasure (Bobby Brown and Scottish Accent: TAC 50th Anniversary).

 Two variants of a three couple Espagnole were independently devised by Peter Marshall and Niall Bootland. This dance uses the latter version as in Tall Ship "Glenlee".

(Dance information by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA December 2025)

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