Polharrow Burn
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
POLHARROW BURN (R5x32) 5C set Hugh Foss Glendarroch SD Sheets1- 8 1s and 3s cross RH, cast 1 place (2s and 4s step up) and dance ½ Fig of 8 round couple above them
9-16 1s and 3s turn RH then turn LH (long turns) to face 1st corners while 2s and 5s change places RH and chase clockwise to other end of set
17-24 1s and 3s dance ½ diagonal reels of 4 with 1st corners, pass partner LSh, dance ½ diagonal reels of 4 with 2nd corners
25-32 1s and 3s dance ½ diagonal reels of 4 with 3rd corner, turn partner LH and cast down 1 place own sides. 24153
(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)
Polharrow Burn
Hugh Foss Glendarroch Scottish Dance Sheets
Reel 5 x 32 bars 5 Couple Repeat 5 Couple Set Longwise Set
1-4 1s 3s cross by the right and cast;
5-8 1s 3s half figures of 8 round 2s 4s;
9-12 1s 3s turn by the right WHILE 2s and 5s cross by the right and chase clockwise round the set;
13-16 1s 3s turn by the left WHILE 2s and 5s continue to chase clockwise round the set (finishing 5s at top, 2s at bottom);
17-20 1s 3s half diagonal reels of 4 with first corner positions;
21-24 1s 3s repeat with second corner positions;
25-28 1s 3s repeat with partners' first corner positions;
29-32 1s 3s turn by the left and cast, finishing 2s4s1s5s3s.
(MAXICRIB. Scottish country dancing instructions compiled by Reuben Freemantle)
Dance Notes
1-32 1M3M 1L3L cover throughout.
3-4 2s 4s step up.
9-16 2s 5s cover diagonally in the chase.
17-28 2s 4s 5s cover appropriately in the half diagonal reels; 2s 5s must not stop on reaching 3rd position.
31-32 4s 5s step up.
Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams
Dance Instruction Videos
Polharrow Burn - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction VideoDance Information
Also see the derivative dance Polharrow Burn (3-Couple Version) by Hugh Foss, adapted by Shalden SCD.Much of Scotland is mountainous, western areas of the Highlands enjoy a wet climate.
Polharrow Burn is a stream in Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway, Scotland, which rises in Loch Harrow and flows towards St John's Town of Dalry before joining the Water of Ken.
This reel, Polharrow Burn, was devised by the cryptographer and Scottish country dance deviser Hugh Foss, and appeared in his Glendarroch Scottish Country Dance Collection in 1966. He published several volumes of these from his own impress, Glendarroch Press.
Hugh Foss lived in his retirement at Glendarroch in St John's Town of Dalry and died in 1971.
Polharrow Burn
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Polharrow Burn article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Bob Peace under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
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