Sidlaw Hills (Mitchell - Whetherly Book 7)
Scottish Country Dance Instruction
Sidlaw Hills A thirty-two bar Strathspey for four couples in a longwise set, devised by John W Mitchell, published in Whetherly Book 7.1- 4 Second couple cast up to first place on own side and cross over to opposite side, whilst third couple cast off into fourth place and cross over to opposite side. At the same time first and fourth ladies turn one and a half times with the right hand, first and fourth men do the same, to finish with fourth couple in second place and first couple in third place.
5- 8 Fourth couple cast up into first place and cross to opposite side, giving left hand in passing, whilst first couple cast into fourth place and cross to opposite side giving left hand. At the same time second and third ladies turn one and a half times with the left hand, second and third men do the same. Order now is 4, 3, 2, 1, all on opposite side.
9-16 Eight hands round in a circle to the left and back to the right.
17-24 Repeat bars 1-8 back to original places.
25-32 First couple cast off, second couple step up on bars 25 & 26. First couple cross down to third place giving right hand, third couple step up on bar 27 & 28. First couple cast off, fourth couple step up on bars 29 & 30. First couple cross over to own side giving left hand.
25-32 First couple cast off, second couple step up on bars 25 & 26. First couple cross over giving right hand and cast off, third couple step up on bar 28 & 29. First couple cross over giving left hand and cast into fourth place, fourth couple step up on bars 31 & 32.
Repeat with new top couple.
Recommended tune: Sidlaw Hills
Editor's note to the 2021 edition In the original instructions, the figures for bars 25-32 would normally take ten bars of music, suggested however for 8 bars with unusual phrasing. The original instructions are reproduced below.
(Dance crib reproduced from The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell)
Keith Rose's Crib Diagram
Published in The Whetherly Book Of Scottish Country Dances Number 7, by John W Mitchell, revised and republished by Alison Mitchell. Instructions reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-ND 4.0).