Glasgow Roast

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 4 All 4 couples take hands on the side and dance Highland Schottische setting step.
5- 8 All 4 couples advance for 1 bar and retire for 1 bar, then cross to opposite sides giving RH to partner.
9-12 On opposite sides, all 4 couples take hands on the side and dance Highland Schottische setting step.
13-16 All turn partners with two hands 1½ finishing with 1C and 2C; 3C with 4C ready for half Poussettes.
17-20 1C with 2C; 3C with 4C dances half Poussettes, finishing with 1C and 4C ready for half Poussettes.
21-24 1C with 4C dance a modified half Poussette. Dance as per a normal half Poussette, but turn with two hands for bars 23 and 24 finishing with 1C facing 4W, with nearer hands joined and 1W on the right of 1M; 4C dance similarly finish facing 2M but with 4L on the left of 4M. 1C will be back to back with 4C in a diagonal line.
25-30 First and fourth couples dance 'hello and goodbye' setting 'in tandem' with second and third couples. To wit:
 25-26 First couple, with nearer hands joined, set to 3rd lady
 while
 fourth couple, with nearer hands joined, set to 2nd man.
 On bar 26, 4th couple release hands and dance out (woman lead- ing) to the men's side pulling back right shoulder, while first couple release hands and dance out (man leading) to the women's side.
 27-28 First and fourth couples, with nearer hands joined with partner, set to each other across the set. On bar 28, first couple release hands and dance in to face second lady while fourth couple release hands and dance in to face third man. First and fourth couples finish back to back in the middle.
 29-30 First couple, with nearer hands joined, set to second lady
 while
 fourth couple, with nearer hands joined, set to third man. On bar 30, fourth couple release hands and dance down to finish between third couple (or just in front of this position) facing up while first couple release hands and dance up to finish between second couple (or just below this position) facing down. It would behoove the dancing couples not to be too far apart at the end of bar 30.
31-32 4th couple make an arch an dance up to second place. 1st couple take nearer hands and dance down through the arch into third place.
Finishing order 2, 4, 1, 3.

Repeat from new positions.

(Dance crib compiled by the deviser Rod Downey, Johnsonville SCD Club Tutor, 2026)

Dance Instruction Videos

Dance Information

Em Griffiths included in a Strathspey set the tune "Glasgow Roast" by the modern (non-SCD) band Fourth Moon, which was particularly well received and inspired the deviser to create a dance suited to the tune.

The music has a distinctly Schottische character, which informs both the title and the recommended tune.

Alternatively, a suitable 4x32 Strathspey recording such as "The Braes of Busby" (for example, by Bobby Crowe), or "Double Eighty" by Chris Dewhurst as recorded by Ceol Na h-Alba, may be used. Any Strathspey with a comparable Schottische style would also be appropriate.

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Glasgow Roast' page