Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Kelpie Of Loch Coruisk

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

THE KELPIE OF LOCH CORUISK (R7x32) 7C set Barry Priddey Silver Rose

1- 4 1s, 3s and 5s cross RH, cast 1 place
5- 8 Ladies dance ½ Fig of 8 round couple above and Men with couple below (dancers pass LSh) and end facing 2nd corner positions while 2s 4s, 6s and 7s set and cross RH
9-24 1s, 3s and 5s dance 'Mairi's Wedding' reels with corners ending 7163452 Dancing couples pass RSh to end Men facing down and Ladies up
25-32 1s, 3s and 5s turn partners ¾ RH to end facing up, 1s, 3s and 5s lead up to top and cast into 6th, 4th and 2nd places. 7563412

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


The Kelpie of Loch Coruisk
Barry Priddey Silver Rose
Reel 7 x 32 bars 7 Couple Repeat 7 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-2   1s 3s 5s cross;

  3-4   1s 3s 5s cast WHILE 2s 4s 6s step up;

  5-8   2s 4s 6s 7s set and cross WHILE 1L 3L 5L half figures of 8 through couples above WHILE 1M 3M 5M half figures of 8 through couples below, 1s 3s 5s finishing facing second corners' positions, M to M, L to L;

  9-24 1s 3s 5s four half reels of 4 (as in the informal version of Mairi's Wedding, passing right shoulder in the centre) WHILE 2s 4s 6s 7s, as corners, progress Ls up, Mn down the set until they reach the top or bottom where they wait for four bars before changing direction;

25-26 1s 3s 5s turn by the right to own sides;

27-32 1s 3s 5s lead to the top and cast to finish 7s5s6s3s4s1s2s.

(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Notes

  1-8   This sequence is as in The Flying Spur except that the dancing Mn go down and the dancing Ls go up.

    -8   2M 4M 6M finish facing diagonally down, 4L 6L 7L finish facing diagonally up, on second corners' diagonal.

  9-24 As in Polharrow Burn, the corners must dance half reels of 4 on alternating diagonals without stopping before they reach either the top or the bottom.

25-26 There isn't enough time to return to the side lines; make some progress up the set instead.

27-32 7s 6s 4s 2s should leave clear spaces on the sides for the 1s 3s 5s to fill; also, 7s 6s 4s must be ready to be the new 1s 3s 5s when the next repeat starts.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

The Kelpie Of Loch Coruisk - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

The Kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland

The name "Kelpie" may be from Scottish Gaelic "cailpeach or colpach", meaning "heifer or colt". Kelpies were said to transform into beautiful women to lure men into their traps.

Loch Coruisk (in Scottish Gaelic, "Coire Uisg", the "cauldron of waters") is an inland fresh-water lake, lying at the foot of the Black Cuillin in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands.

The Kelpie Of Loch Coruisk
The Kelpie

Loch Coruisk Image
Loch Coruisk, Isle Of Skye


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Kelpie article on Wikipedia.
Text from this original Loch Coruisk article on Wikipedia.

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