Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Noup Of Ness

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Noup Of Ness A thirty-two bar Hornpipe for two couples in a longwise set, devised by John W Mitchell, Published In Whetherly Book 7.

1- 4 First lady and second man set and change places giving right hand in passing.
5- 8 First and second couples face up and down, set to partner and turn half way with the right hand to finish with both couples facing the men's side in an allemande hold.
9-16 First and second couples dance an allemande to change sides: finish with first couple on the ladies' side, second couple on the men's side with the ladies in top place.
17-20 First lady and second man set and change places giving right hand in passing.
21-24 First and second couples set to partner and cross to own side, giving right hand in passing.
25-32 First and second couples dance four hands round to the left in a circle and back to the right.

Repeat from second place.

(Dance crib compiled by Alison Mitchell, under the CCA NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, 2021)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

Noup Of Ness Keith Rose's Diagram
Noup Of Ness - Full Size And Key To Symbols

Dance Instruction Videos

Noup Of Ness - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Recommended tune: Noup of Ness.

(Dance information by Alison Mitchell, under the CCA NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, 2020)

The word "Noup" derives from the Old Norse word gnúpr, meaning "a peak" or "crag". It typically refers to a steep, prominent feature of the landscape, such as a cliff or rocky outcrop.

The word "Ness" originates from the Old Norse word nes or the Old English equivalent, both meaning "headland" or "promontory". It describes a piece of land that projects into a body of water, such as a sea or lake. The word is functional, serving to pinpoint areas of land that are significant for navigation or distinct in their shape. A ness is often a prominent, windswept feature, bordered by cliffs or slopes that extend into the water.

Here a just a few examples...

  1. South Ness, Foula, Shetland Isles, Scotland.
  2. Isle of Lewis (northernmost part) Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
  3. Pierowall (some distance from), Island of Westray, Orkney Islands, Scotland.
  4. Fitful Head near Garths Ness in the south of Shetland, Scotland.
  5. Noup of Ness, Noss, Bressay, (the island just east of Lerwick), Shetland Isles, Scotland.
  6. Alongside Hill Ness, north coast of Unst, Shetland Isles, Scotland.
  7. Alongside Scarfi Taing, Siggar Ness, Shetland Isles, Scotland.
Noup Of Ness
The Noup From South Ness, Foula, Shetland Isles, Scotland
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 7, reproduced here under this Creative Commons Attribution - NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Image copyright Mike Pennington under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.

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