Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Osgood MacKenzie Of Inverewe

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

OSGOOD MACKENZIE OF INVEREWE (R4x32) 4C set Michael Block

1- 8 1s+2s dance RH across and 3s+4s dance LH across, 1L also 3M (followed by their partners) chase clockwise to change ends
9-16 3s+2s dance RH across and 1s+4s dance LH across, 1s and 3s chase ½ way to end in line up/down centre with 1L and 3M facing in middle
17-24 1s+3s dance reel of 4 with 1L+3M passing LSh ending in original places
25-32 1s cast to 4th place as others step up, 2s and 3s turn RH as 4s and 1s turn LH. 2341

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


Osgood MacKenzie of Inverewe
Michael Block Leaflet
Jig 4 x 32 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Longwise Set

  1-4   1s2s right hands across WHILE 3s4s left hands across;

  5-8   1L followed by 1M cast to 3rd place (opposite sides) WHILE 3M followed by 3L cast to 1st place (opposite sides);

  9-12 3s2s right hands across WHILE 1s4s left hands across;

13-16 1L followed by 1M cast up and dance down the centre line WHILE 3M followed by 3L cast down and dance up the centre line, 1L3M finishing left shoulder to left shoulder, between 2s, 1M 3L holding back ready for the reel of 4;

17-24 1M3M1L3L reel of 4 up and down the centre line, finishing in original places, 1s facing out;

25-28 1s cast to the bottom WHILE 2s3s4s step up;

29-32 2s 3s turn by the right WHILE 4s 1s turn by the left, finishing 2s3s4s1s.

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

Dance Notes

15-16 Once they reach the centre line, 1L 3M must move quickly to finish side-by-side between 2s; 1M 3L must hold back.

25-28 An opportunity to remember that the new top two couples will turn by the right WHILE 4s 1s (at the bottom) turn by the left.

    -32 Except on the last repeat, all retain hold with partners ready for hands across on bar 1 of the next repeat.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Osgood MacKenzie Of Inverewe - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Michael Block originally designated this dance as a reel but he had also written some jig tunes which were arranged by Ian Robertson and played for the dance by Sound Company at a Newbury and District Caledonian Society's Annual Dance in the late 1990s.

Inverewe Garden is a botanical garden in the Scottish Highlands, located just to the north of Poolewe (pronounced "pool-you") in Wester Ross.

The garden was created in 1862 by Osgood MacKenzie on the 850 ha (2100 acres) estate surrounding Inverewe House. It covers some 20 ha (50 acres) and includes more than 2500 species of exotic plants. The garden has been the property of the National Trust for Scotland since it was gifted to the Trust along with a generous endowment for its future upkeep by Osgood's daughter Mairi Sawyer in 1952.

Osgood MacKenzie Of Inverewe Garden
Part Of Inverewe Garden Created By Osgood MacKenzie


Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Inverewe Garden article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Wojsyl.

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