Mountains Of The Moon
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Mountains of the MoonMaggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 11: Three Dozen
5/7x32 bar Strathspey
7-couple dance in a 7-couple longways set (may be danced in a 5-couple set)
1-8 ACTIVE COUPLES CROSS AND CAST TWICE: 1st, 3rd and 5th couples cross with right hands, cast off one place (2nd, 4th and 6th couples step up), cross with left hands and cast to the left around partner's 2nd corner, pass partner by the left shoulder to end facing 2nd corners;
9-16 TURN 2ND CORNER, PARTNER, 1ST CORNER, PARTNER: active couples (1st, 3rd, and 5th) turn 2nd corners by the right, then partner by the left, 1st corner by the right and partner by the left ending in the middle facing man's 2nd corner, nearer hands joined, man on left of partner;
17-24 SET 2ND CORNERS AND 1ST CORNERS: 1st, 3rd and 5th set to man's 2nd corner active couples turning towards each other to end facing woman's 2nd corner nearer hands joined, set rotating ¼ anticlockwise to end facing man's 1st corner, set active couples turning towards each other to face woman's 1st corner, set ending facing the top of the set;
25-32 CAST AND TURN; 1st, 3rd and 5th couples dance up and cast around the couple above them (1st around 2nd, 3rd around 4th, 5th around 6th), then begin to dance between couple below offering them the outer hand and turn them 1½ times to end on own side (the order now is: 2nd, 4th, 1st, 6th, 3rd, 7th, 5th)
Repeat 6 times (or 7 times if using recorded music).
(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)
Dance Instruction Videos
Mountains Of The Moon - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
"Mountains of the Moon" is a term with several interpretations and historical references:- Geographical Term: The phrase "Mountains of the Moon" traditionally refers to the
Rwenzori Mountains in East Africa. These mountains were thought to be the source of the Nile River, an idea dating back to ancient Greek and Roman times. The Greek geographer Ptolemy mentioned a range called the "Lunae Montes" (Mountains of the Moon) in the 2nd century AD as the source of the Nile.
The mountains formed about three million years ago in the late Pliocene epoch and are the highest non-volcanic, non-orogenic mountains in the world. - Mythical or Fictional Mountains: In various myths, legends, and works of fiction, "Mountains of the Moon" might refer to any mysterious, distant, or exotic mountain range.
- Literary and Cultural References: The phrase is sometimes used in literature and popular culture to evoke a sense of mystery, grandeur, or exploration. For example, it has been used as a title for books and films, contributing to the idea of an unknown and adventurous place.
In all these contexts, 'Mountains of the Moon' conveys an image of a distant, majestic, and somewhat mystical location, often associated with exploration and discovery, but rarely has anything to do with mountains on the actual moon orbiting the Earth.

Mountains Of The Moon, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Western Uganda
This page contains both original content, which is copyrighted, and excerpts from Wikipedia and other sources using the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Text from this original Rwenzori Mountains article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Agripio at English Wikipedia, Creative Commons Licence 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Mountains Of The Moon' page