Highlander's Farewell

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s set and cast 1 place, 1s cross passing LSh and cast round 1st corner to end 1L between 2s and 1M between 3s
9-16 1s set advancing (arms raised Highland style) and Tulloch turn (left arm raised) for 6 bars and end turning about to face opposite ends
17-24 1M+3s and 1L+2s dance RH across, pass RSh to dance LH across and pass LSh to face 1st corners
25-32 1s dance pass and turn with 1st corners and pass RSh to face 2nd corners, dance pass and turn with 2nd corners and pass RSh to 2nd place own sides

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

1-2 First Couple set.
3-8 First couple cast behind the second couple, who step up on bars 3 and 4. First couple dance through second place across the set passing left shoulder and cast around their first corners passing their first corners by right shoulder, first lady up, first man down, and finishing with first couple facing each other, lady facing down, man facing up, with first man between third couple, and first lady between second couple.
9-10 First couple set advancing with both arms raised in the "highland style".
11-16 First couple turns in "the highland style" with left arms raised, to finish ready for first man facing ladies side to dance three hands across with the third couple and first lady facing men's side with the second couple.
Turn is by choice. I would prefer either taking elbow grip and turning for 6 bars three or more times, in a Tulloch-style turn, or taking waist grip and turning similarly. In either case, at the end of bar 6, the first couple must turn on the spot, pulling back right shoulder so that the man is facing the ladies side and the woman the men's side.
 A more controlled offering is the following.
 11-12 Taking elbow grip with right hands and keeping left arms raised, first couple set on the right foot, and using the left foot jeté turn half way so that the first man is now facing down, and the first lady facing up. (The movement resembles hello-goodbye setting.)
 13-14 Repeat 11-12 to finish with man facing up and lady down.
 15-16 Releasing right hands, first couple set with arms raised turning one a half times (or a half turn) pulling back right shoulders to finish with first man facing ladies side and first lady facing men's side.
17-20 First man with third couple and first lady with second couple, dance three hands across right hand, first couple staying in the middle passing right shoulder for...
21-24 First man with second couple and first lady with third couple dance three hands across left hand, first couple staying in the middle passing left shoulder and facing first corners, ready for...
25-32 Dance corners pass and turn.
 25-26 First couple pass first corners right shoulder, while first corners turn each other with right hands.
 27-28 First couple dance in to pass right shoulder to face second corners, while first corners dance back to places.
 29-32 Repeat 25-28 with second corners, but with first couple finishing in second place on own side ready to begin anew.

Repeat, having passed a couple.

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

Dance Information

It was inspired by the generous gift of some CD's by Mara Shea of her group "The Elftones," at TAC Summer School, 2004.

One of the tracks on the CD "Elftones" has a stirring reel called "Highlander's Farewell" which inspired this dance. Modified in November 2006.
Peter Elmes has modified this traditional tune for SCD and his set is available upon request.

Suitable music would be "The Shetland Fiddler" as recorded by the Souther Ceili Band, or suitable pipe march style reel. This dance appeared in the TAC 50th Aniversary Collection.

(Dance information from They Stole My Wife From Me Last Night Collection Of Scottish Country Dances, reproduced here with the kind permission of the deviser, Rod Downey)

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