

None of the dances published by the RSCDS before book 13 were devised by the RSCDS, instead they were considered "traditional" dances. Many dances published in subsequent books fall into that category as well. I have tried to track down the sources of these dances and display here the earliest published versions of the dance's figure which I've been able to find.
In some cases the RSCDS mentions a source. Often I have found earlier examples of the dance. Sometimes I have been unable to find the RSCDS source and will present the earliest source I have found.
When I know the deviser, I mark the name in italics. In most cases for these old dances I only know the publisher.
When a dance source is marked with "†" it means I have been unable to verify the source of the dance, when it is marked with "‡" it means I have been unable to find any Scottish dance manual containing this dance (prior to 1924).
Hovering the mouse over a dance's devisor/publisher will (often) produce a popup containing the text of the original.By default the list below shows only traditional dances interpreted by the (R)SCDS. I believe that Book 34 (1986) was the last book to contain any traditional dances. Before Book 13 all (R)SCDS dances were traditional, but Book 13 contains The Reel of the 51st Division, the first published modern dance. No further modern dances were published until Book 22 (1963), and after that some books contained modern and some traditional dances until Books 31&34, which contains both.
At the end I have several tables of statistics.
Order by:
Include:
(R)SCDS Book Range:
Containing figure:
| The Bob o' Dowally | Walsh, London, ~1760† Caledonian Country Dances RSCDS Book 2 says "Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances 1748-1760. The crib diagram says this comes from Walsh, 1760. Both Walsh and Jackson published collections entitled Caledonian Country Dances around this time, but I can't find anything by either from 1760. The collections I can search do not contain a dance with this name.
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| Braes of Athol ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1731 The Compleat Country Dancing Master vol 1 Walsh writes: The 1st Cu. foots it and cast off The 1st Cu. foots it again, 1st Man casts down and the 1st Wo. cast up The 1st Man Heys with the 2d and 3d Wo. 1st Wo. Heys at the same Time with the 2d and 3d Men First Man Heys with the 2d and 3d Men, 1st Wo at the same Time Heys with the 2d and 3d We. The 1st Man foots it with the 3d Wo. and turns her, the 1st Wo. does the same at the same Time with the 2d Man Then the 1st Man foots it with the 2d Wo. and turns her, the 1st Wo. does the same at the same Time with the 3d Man The 1st Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d Men, and turn in the 2d Cu. Place Then the 1st Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d We. and turn in the 2d Cu. Place. Walsh's music consists of four 4 bar strains, each repeated. Walsh spells the title "Athol Brays". |
| Cadgers in the Canongate ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1760 Country Dances Selected, Part 1 RSCDS Book 9 says that Walsh published this in Caledonian Country Dances, ~1748, but the earliest I have been able to find is ~1760. Walsh writes: First Cu. hey contrary sides then on your own sides the 1st Cu. foot it to the 2d Wo. and turn her the same to the 2d Man the 1st and 2d Cu. foot it and Right hands across Foot it and Left hands across back again cross over one Cu. and turn Right and Left at top Walsh spells "Canongate" as "Conongate". Cannongate is a major street in historic Edinburgh (gate=street), and a "cadger" is a carter who brings produce to market. |
| Fiddle Faddle ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1735 Caledonian Country Dances with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsicord, 3rd Ed. RSCDS Book 12 attributes this to Johnson's Caledonian Country Dances of 1748 but it appears earlier. According to Robert Keller's site this appeared in Walsh's 2nd Edition of Caledonian Country Dances, but I only have access to the 3rd wherein Walsh writes: The 1st Cu. foots it and casts off then foot it again, and the Man casts off, and the Wo. casts up figure contrary sides figure on your own sides Foot it corners and turn ∴ foot it other corners and turn ∵ Hey contrary sides foot it to your Partner and turn it out. Johnson published the same figure in about 1742. The music consists of four 4 bar strains. There are 8 sub-figures with a mark between them, suggesting that each strain should be repeated. Unfortunately the figures seem take different amounts of time. I'd expect The 1st Cu. foots it and casts off to take 4 bars, but I'd expect figure contrary sides to take 8. So perhaps Walsh means only half of a figure of eight. That would take 4 bars. But we still have Hey contrary sides. That takes 8 bars (or maybe 6, but not 4). Could we do half a hey? No, that leaves the corners in the wrong place. Could the 1s do half a hey while everyone else does a full hey? Then we need to make sure the 1s don't bump into the 2s+3s as the 1s set and the corners finish. This solution does not seem a good one, but I can't think of a better. I doubt it's what Walsh intended. Could the final strain be played 3 times? Walsh does use a pecular mark at the end of this sub-figure. That just seems worse. Does Walsh intend the music to be played at four counts per bar rather than two? But most of the sub-figures fit into 4 bars... | |
| Green Grow the Rashes ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, ~1740 The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 1, 4th Ed. The RSCDS attributes this dance to Johnson (who published it in ~1748), but Walsh published it first. Hey on the Men's side Then foot it to Partners then to sides turn single after Each then the 1st Man turn 3d. Cu. half round and cast up into the 2d Place The Wo. do the same back again change sides and foot it cast up change sides and foot it cast off The music consists of two 4 bar strains. | |
| Kiss Me Quick, My Mither's Coming | Walsh, London, 1740 The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 2, 3rd Ed. RSCDS Book 12 attributes this to Johnson's Caledonian Country Dances of 1748 but it appears earlier. Walsh published Kiss Quick Mother's A'Comeing (sic) in his The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 2, 3rd Ed. ~1740 Given that this is the third edition, the dance may well have appeared earlier but I don't have access to the earlier editions. Johnson republished it a few years later in his Caledonian Country Dances of ~1748. In 1735 Walsh a different figure named Kiss me fast my Mother's coming. The Merry Medley, 1749 published yet another figure named Kiss me quick my Mother's coming. Anyway in 1740 Walsh writes:
Music consists of two 8 bar strains both repeated. Note the kiss has been replaced by a bow | |
| The Reel of Glamis ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, ~1735 Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition RSCDS Book 12 attributes this to Johnson's Caledonian Country Dances of 1748 but it appears earlier. According to Robert Keller's site in Walsh's Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition he published a dance called The Reel of Glames with essentially this figure. Then in his The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master, The 3d. Edition, ~1736, he published a dance called The Cleaver Lad, or The Gin I was a Bonny Lad with the same figure. In Wright's Compleat Collection of Celebrated Country-Dances, Vol. 1 he published a dance called The Reel of Glamis with the same figure. And this one I can find online. Later Johnson published the same figure and called the dance The Reel of Glamis. Wright writes:
The music consists of 2 four bar strains, both repeated. Given that they need to be played at four counts per bar to fill out the figure. There is one big problem with this description of the figure: both the 1s and the 2s end the corner changes progressed by improper, and there is nothing in the description to get them proper. But the description doesn't quite fill up the music, and there is easily room to throw in hole in the wall cross with partner. | |
| Sodger Laddie ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1731 The Compleat Country Dancing Master vol 1 Walsh writes: The 1st Man Heys with the 3d Cu. his Partner at the same Time heys with the 2d Cu. Then the 1st Man Heys with the 2d Cu. 1st Wo. at the same Time Heys with the 3d Cu. First Cu. leads thro' the 2d and 3d We. and turn in the 2d Cu. Place First Cu. leads through the 2d and 3d Men and turns at Top The 1st Cu. Back to Back and cast off and turn The 2d Cu. does the same First Man leads the 2d Wo. off and turns her First Wo. leads the 2d Man off and turns him, 1st Man cast off at the same Time. Walsh spells the dance "Soldier Ladie" rather than "Sodger Laddie". Walsh uses a 32 bar jig tune repeated twice, while the RSCDS has cut the dance length in half. | |
| The Yellow-Haired Laddie | Walsh, London, ~1737 Caledonian Country Dances. Book the Second RSCDS Book 12 attributes this to Johnson's Caledonian Country Dances of 1748 but it appears earlier. According to Robert Keller's site Walsh published a dance called The Yellow Hair'd Laddie in his Caledonian Country Dances. Book the Second published ~1737. Some years later Johnson published a dance with the same name and figure in his Caledonian Country Dances...ye 3d. Edition with Additions. A copy of this is online. Johnson writes: The 1st. Cu. lead thro' the 2d. Cu. & turn in their own Places, then Back to Back and turn The 2d. Cu. do the same with the 3d. Cu. Then the 1st Cu. cast behind the 3d. Cu. and lead up to the Top and turn then Back to Back and Right Hand & Left to the end of the Tune — The music consists of 2 eight bar strains, both repeated. What to make of The 1st. Cu. lead thro' the 2d. Cu. & turn in their own Places? What are "their own Places"? Sometimes that means their original places, and sometimes it means their progressed places. The RSCDS thinks it means their progressed places (which means the 2s must move up), but the next instruction The 2d. Cu. do the same with the 3d. Cu. suggests that the 2s and 3s are adjacent, which won't happen if the 2s have moved up. RSCDS seems to assume that's a misprint, and that Walsh means "1s" instead of "3s". But if we assume Walsh meant what he wrote we still get a consistent dance. I think The 1st. Cu. lead thro' the 2d. Cu. is probably an abreviation for "1s lead down and cast back to place". We've got 4 bars of music at 3 counts a bar, and even at minuet pacing that's a lot of music just to lead down one couple, but it's about right to lead down and cast up. Then the 1s can do their turns and back-to-back "in their own Places" at the top of the set. And then the 2s can do the same with the 3s. In the second half of the dance Walsh says Then the 1st Cu. cast behind the 3d. Cu. and lead up, but the RSCDS has them casting down 1 couple and leading up, not the 2 couple cast Walsh asks for Some sources say the turns in the first 32 bars should be right hand, and some say both hand. The crib diagram shows the "down the middle" to be with near hands joined but the online instructions say "lead". |
| The Sutters of Selkirk | Walsh, London, ~1735 Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition The RSCDS attributes this dance to Johnson, and he did publish it in at least two books, but Walsh got there first and he published it in at least three books. Both of them spelt the dance Sulters of Selkerke. According to Robert Keller's site these dances match the figure of the RSCDS interpretation. |
| The Charmer - Walsh ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1717 The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master In 1717 Kynaston devised a different dance with this name (also published by Walsh). Walsh writes:
The music consists of two 8 bar strains in cut time (not a jig). | |
| Lord Kilmory's Delight ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1710 Twenty Four New Country Dances for the year 1710 I don't have access to the 1710 publication, but the same figure occurs in John Young's Dancing Master and in later publications by Walsh. In 1729, John Young wrote:
The music consists of a 16 bar strain and a 20 bar strain to be played AAB. Walsh (and Young) spell the title Lord Killmurry's Delight. | |
| Ross Meor ~ RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1735 Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition First published by Walsh in 1735, later by Johnson, and Wright in 1740, with more publications later.
The music is in cut time and consists of an 8 bar strain (repeated) and a 12 bar strain |
| Glasgow Lasses - RSCDS | Walsh, London, 1748 Caledonian Country Dances Vol. II Part 1 Walsh writes: First Man foot it to the 2d Wo. and cast off into the 2d Man's Place, and the 2d Wo. cast up at the same time into the 1st Wo. Place — Then the 2d Man foot it to ye 1st Wo. (he being at Top) and cast off into his Place, and the 1st Wo. cast up into her Place then the 1st and 2d Man foot it to their Partners, the 1st Cu. cast off one Cu. take Hands with the 2d. Cu. and lead up, foot it and cast off into the 2d Cu: Place. The music is two eight bar strains, the first repeated, the second not. Walsh spells "Glasgow" as "Glascow". Davis also published this dance in 1748, and also spells "Glascow", I have no idea which published first. |
| London | 14 |
| 1700-1749 | 12 |
| 1750-1799 | 2 |
| Walsh | 14 |
| Walsh | Twenty Four New Country Dances for the year 1710, London, 1710. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | The Second Book of the Compleat Country Dancing-Master, London, 1717 |
| " | The Compleat Country Dancing Master vol 1, London, 1731. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the British Library |
| " | Caledonian Country Dances with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsicord, 3rd Ed., London, 1735. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | Caledonian Country Dances, 2d Edition, London, about 1735. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh |
| " | Caledonian Country Dances. Book the Second, London, about 1737. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh |
| " | The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 1, 4th Ed., London, about 1740. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Birmingham University Library |
| " | The Compleat Country Dancing-Master Book 2, 3rd Ed., London, 1740. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Birmingham University Library |
| " | Caledonian Country Dances Vol. II Part 1, London, 1748 |
| " | Caledonian Country Dances, London, about 1760 |
| " | Country Dances Selected, Part 1, London, 1760. I don't know where to find it. |
Scans of old dance manuals are scattered about the internet. The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, International Music Score Library Project, Scott Pfitzinger's Playford site, Richard Powers' website, Library of Congress, and The Library of Dance all provide primary sources. A number of other sites provide indeces of these sources: The Regency Dance site, The Library of Dance again, and my own site have all proven useful for finding old sources. Finally there is Robert Keller's index which does not provide sources directly but lists thousands of dances, the publications containing them, dates and a brief coded description of the figures. This last has proven invaluable for tracking down dances for which I had no complete sources.
And, of course, both the Scottish Country Dance Database and the Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary provide online descriptions of all the RSCDS books and often hint at early sources.
This website is copyright © 2021-2026 by George W. Williams V My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.