Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Schiehallion

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

SCHIEHALLION (M-(S64+R64)) Sq.Set Hugh A Thurston RSCDS book 53

Strathspey
1-16 All dance Chorus:
 Grand Chain ½ way, set Highland Schottische, Grand Chain ½ way and set Highland Schottische and Men end BtoB in the middle facing partners
17-24 Men set (rocking step) as Ladies petronella turn and set, petronella turn and set to move ½ way round set
25-32 Ladies change places RH with opposite Man, Ladies dance LH across ½ way and turn partners RH
33-48 Repeat bars 1-16 (Chorus)
49-56 All dance RH across ½ way (Men on outside), all change places with partners advancing 1 place and change places again advancing 1 more place
57-64 All repeat bars 49-56 back to places

Reel
1-16 All dance Chorus:
 Grand Chain ½ way, turn partner with R arms twice, Grand Chain ½ way and turn partner R arms twice
17-32 1s+3s set advancing, turn opposite dancer and circle 4H round to left, 2s+4s repeat
33-48 Repeat bars 1-16 (Chorus)
49-64 All dance full Schiehallion Reel: (Men start by crossing to the right, Ladies cast and cross (following partner))
 49-50 Men dance diagonally across set to next Ladies' position to their right while Ladies cast into partner's place
 51-52 Men cast into Man's place while Ladies cross diagonally to Ladies' position to their right (following partner)
 53-64 Repeat 3 more times back to original places

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


Schiehallion
Hugh A Thurston  
Medley S64 + R64 bars 4 Couple Repeat 4 Couple Set Square Set

Strathspey:

    1-16   Chorus:

    1-4     all grand chain halfway;

    5-8     all set (Highland Schottische) to partners;

    9-16   repeat bars 1-8, all taking a long last left step and pulling right shoulders back, finishing Mn back to back facing out, Ls facing in.

  17-24   Ls petronella two places WHILE Mn set twice (rocking step);

  25-32   all turn opposite by the right halfway, Ls left hands across halfway, all turn partners by the right.

  33-48   Repeat strathspey chorus, all taking a short last left step and Mn pulling left shoulders back to finish on left side of partners, all facing clockwise.

  49-52   Ls inside, Mn outside, nearer hands joined, double right hands across halfway;

  53-54   Ls dance in front of partner to position vacated by next M WHILE Mn dance to position vacated by next L;

  55-56   Mn dance in front of partner to position vacated by next L WHILE Ls dance behind partner to position vacated by next M, all ready for double right hands across;

  57-64   repeat bars 49-56, finishing in original places.

Reel:

  65-80   Chorus:

  65-68   all grand chain halfway;

  69-72   all turn twice by the right;

  73-80   repeat bars 65-72, finishing in original places.

  81-82   1s 3s set advancing;

  83-84   1M3L 1L3M turn both hands;

  85-88   1s3s four hands round to the left finishing in original places;

  89-96   2s4s repeat bars 81-88.

  97-112 Repeat reel chorus, finishing Ls facing out, Mn in.

113-128 Schiehallion reel:

113-114 Ls cast to place vacated by partner WHILE Mn pass left shoulder to position vacated by second corner;

115-116 Mn cast to follow the same L (2 bars behind) WHILE Ls pass left shoulder and continue to follow partner (2 bars behind);

117-128 repeat bars 113-116 three times to finish in original places.

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

Dance Notes

  15-16   On the second half of the Highland Schottische setting, all pull the right shoulder back to finish Ls facing in, Mn facing out to partners.

  17-24   Mn's rocking step can be replaced by Highland Schottische setting but don't travel the full amount sideways.

  47-48   Mn finish on left side of partners and take their hands, all facing clockwise.

  53-58   Follow the opposite gender dancer in front.

  55-56   It feels unnatural but Mn must dance in front of partner.

  81-96   Very quick.

  83-84   Pas-de-basque for these turns.

      -112 Must finish Ls facing out, Mn in.

113-128 For Schiehallion reels: make a loop to the right when facing out; follow the opposite gender dancer in front and to the right when facing in.


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Schiehallion - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

Schiehallion (Scottish Gaelic: "Sìdh Chailleann") is a prominent mountain in Perth and Kinross, Scotland which lies between Loch Tay and Loch Tummel, 10 miles north of Aberfeldy (pronounced "ah-bur-fell-dee") in Perthshire. Schiehallion has a rich botanical life, interesting archaeology, is isolated from other peaks and has an almost perfect conical shape from the west.

This medley, Schiehallion, depicts the slow steady climb to get to the top of the mountain in the first part with the strathspey step, and the faster descent with the reel in the second part.

Schiehallion - Information Video

Schiehallion Mountain North West Ridge
Schiehallion From Kinloch Rannoch


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 Schiehallion article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Tim Turner under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
Additional search terms: shehallion.

Back to the top of this Scottish Country Dancing Instructions 'Schiehallion' page