A Jig For Scotia Shores

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1L+2L+3L dance RSh round partner back to place and all couples set to partner
9-16 1M+2M+3M repeat 1-8
17-24 1s lead down (3 bars), lead up (3 bars) and cast to 2nd place (2s step up 23-24)
25-32 1s+3s turn on sides (Men RH, Ladies LH); 1s+2s turn on sides (Men LH, Ladies RH)

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

Dance Information

Scotia comes from Latin and was originally used by the Romans to describe Ireland, the land of the Scoti - a term they used for Gaelic-speaking raiders and settlers. The Latin word Scoti is likely derived from a Gaelic root, though its exact origin is uncertain.

As these people moved to what is now western Scotland, the name Scotia gradually shifted northward. By the Middle Ages, it had come to mean Scotland instead, particularly in Latin documents.

The Scotia Sea, on the other hand, lies near Antarctica. It takes its name from the Scottish research ship RRS Scotia, which explored the region during the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902–1904. The sea, along with the surrounding features, was named in honour of that expedition.

So while the two Scotia shores are on opposite sides of the world - one historical, one geographical - they are both tied to the same Latin word and the movements of the people or ships that carried it.