Gills And Ghillies

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Gills And Ghillies (S3x32) A 32 bar strathspey for three couples in a longwise set. Devised By Murrough Landon March 2026.

1- 4 1st and 2nd couples, joining hands on the sides, advance for one and retire for one. Then 1st couple cast off to 2nd place as 2nd couple dance up to 1st place facing out. 3rd couple face up.
5- 8 2nd, 1st and 3rd couples dance half mirror reels of three on the sides. 1st couples start in and down. 3rd and 2nd couple add loops at the end to face in. The order is now 3,1,2.
9-12 3rd man and 2nd woman (in the 1st corners) change places diagonally with the left hand, then set to each other.
Meanwhile 3rd and 1st women, also 1st and 2nd men, join nearer hands and set facing in slightly to their left. Then 3rd woman and 1st man, also 1st woman and 2nd man, each change places diagonally with the right hand.
13-16 All repeat bars 9-12. 3rd woman, 1st woman, 1st man and 2nd man all face clockwise.
17-18 English Rose for Three Couples (bars 17-24): 3rd man and 2nd woman turn just under half way with both hands and face each other in the centre across the set in 2nd place.
Meanwhile 3rd woman and 2nd man chase clockwise to their 3rd corner places.
Meanwhile 1st couple chase round clockwise to their 2nd corner places.
19-20 3rd woman and 2nd man turn nearly half way with both hands and face in the centre.
Meanwhile 1st couple chase round clockwise to their 1st corner places.
Meanwhile 3rd man and 2nd woman curve out to their right ending in 2nd place on the opposite side facing clockwise.
21-22 1st couple half turn with both hands and face each other in the centre.
Meanwhile 3rd man and 2nd woman chase round clockwise to their 4th corner places.
Meanwhile 3rd woman and 2nd man curve out to their right ending in 2nd place on the opposite side facing clockwise.
23-24 1st couple curve out to their right ending in 2nd place on their own side.
Meanwhile 2nd and 3rd couples chase two places clockwise.
All end in the same places as at the start of bar 17, in the order 3,1,2.
25-26 3rd woman and 1st man, also 1st woman and 2nd man, each advance for one and retire for one diagonally to their left. 3rd man and 2nd woman may also do this solo or to those in the next set (if any).
27-30 All dance back to back with their partner.
31-32 All set on the sides. The final order is 3,1,2.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser, Murrough Landon, CC BY-SA March 2026)

Dance Instruction Videos

Gills And Ghillies - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

This dance is for Bruce Herbold, who encouraged the deviser to develop a three-couple version of his original two-couple English Rose figure.

A Scottish and English country dancer who devises dances in both traditions, Bruce created the English Rose as a non-progressive version of Rod Downey's Rose Progression for his English country dance "Bouquet for Mrs Green".

Away from dancing, Bruce is an academic researcher studying fish, hence the title.

Recommended music: Suggested tune: Dr Alastair MacFadyen (Muriel Johnstone) and/or Macallan (James Scott Skinner).
Suitable recording: Loch Linnhe (Bobby Crowe and his SDB: Ten SCD - Leeds Branch Silver Jubilee).

(Dance information from notes supplied by the deviser, March 2026)

Published in Gills And Ghillies, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Murrough Landon. Licensed under CC BY-SA.

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