

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:
| Delvine Side | William Campbell, London, ~1800 Campbell's 15th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels Campbell's 15th book does contain a dance with this name, but I have been unable to find more than a table of contents and can't verify the choreography.
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| Light and Airy | William Campbell, London, ~1804†‡ Campbell's 19th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances, & Strathspey Reels Campbell did publish a dance with this title in his 19th Book, but I do not know whether its figure matches that of the RSCDS dance. On the other hand, in Thompson's Compleat Collection of 200 Fashionable Country Dances, Vol. III", ~1773, Charles and Samuel Thompson write: Cast off two Cu. and clap hands cast up and do the same cross over two Cu. lead up to the top and clap hands lead down two Cu. up again and cast off and clap hands
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| Dumbarton Drums ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room Wilson writes (on page 40): SINGLE FIGURE (Tune played straight thro') Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, the (R)SCDS appears to have conflated the first figure and the last. They seem to have taken the first 8 bars from the first figure (the hey), and added the last 16 bars of the final figure, except these have been reinterpreted to take up 24 bars. The music consists of two 8 bar strains. Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
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| Jenny's Bawbee ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room A "bawbee" is not, as I had assumed, a baby, but according to Wikipedia it is a small coin, a Scottish sixpence, worth about an English half-penny. Wilson writes (on page 67): SINGLE FIGURE (Each strain repeated) Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, the RSCDS appears to be following the first SINGLE FIGURE. The music consists of two 4 bar strains. I assume the music should be played at 2 beats per bar and that " " indicates two repetitions of each strain. Wilson defines all his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
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| The Bob of Fettercairn | William Campbell, London, ~1796†‡ Campbell's 11th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels According to The Regency Dance site in his book Campbell's 11th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels there is a dance "The Bob of Fattercairn". But I don't have access to the original to verify that the figures match.
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| The Highland Plaid | William Campbell, London, ~1788†‡ Campbell's Third Collection of the newest and most favorite Country Dances & Cotillions The Regency Dance site confirms that Campbell did publish a dance named "The Highland Plaid, or the Tartan Plaiddie" in his 3rd collection, but it does not describe the figure. In Dale's Selection of the Most Favorite Country Dances and Reels he published a figure similar to the RSCDS's one: Change sides and back again; Hands across and back again; Lead down the middle, up again; cast off and Allemand. |
| Peggy's Love ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room RSCDS Book 8 says this was "collected in Moray." Wilson, on page 54, writes: SINGLE FIGURE 1st strain repeated 2d. played straight thro' & D.C. Wilson usually gives multiple figures for each tune, the RSCDS appears to be following the DOUBLE FIGURE. Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing. | |
| Tulloch Gorm | William Campbell, London, ~1796†‡ Campbell's 11th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels The RSCDS attributes this to William Campbell, and he did publish a dance named Tulloch Gorum, but I can't check whether the figure matches. In 1796 Skillern published Tulloch Goram and later Skillern (again), and Bland and Wilson all published dances named Tulloch Gorum whose figures do not match. Smyth and the Lowes (~1830) published a dance called Tullochgorum but again the figure does not match that of the RSCDS. Allan (~1895) also published a Tullochgorum but his figure does not match that of the RSCDS. |
| The Duchess of Atholl's Slipper ~ RSCDS | Longman & Broderip, London, 1790‡ Longman and Broderip's Fourth Selection of...Country Dances, Reels &c. RSCDS Book 9 says "collected in the Border Country." Longman & Boroderip first published a dance called "The Duchess's Slipper" in 1790, and republished it in 1796 (with the same figure) in Twenty Four Country Dances for the Year 1796. The 1st. Lady hay with her partner and the 2d. Gent: The 1st. Gent: hay with his partner and the 2d. Lady Lead down two Cou: up again one Cou: Allemande The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain, both repeated. As always, note the lead down and back is progress in the original, while the allemande is not. The instructions say the 1s should lead down, but dancing down with nearer hands joined flows more easily from the two hand turn, and that's what the videos I've watched show, so that's what I'm doing here. |
| The Shepherd's Crook - Book 10 | Anonymous, Roxburghshire, date unknown† RSCDS Book 10 says "collected in Roxburghshire." |
| The Long Chase | Blantyre MS, Scotland, ~1805† According to Hugh Thurston's Scotland's Dances, 1954 (on page 98) this dance was taught by Mr. William Seymour for Kilbride in 1805. I do not have a description of the figure so I can't check that it matches the modern one. In many ways this is a three couple dance in a four couple set with the 1s progressing one space down, but there are a number of whole set figures. | |
| Rakes of Glasgow | Preston, London, 1806‡ Twelve Favorite Country Dances for the Year 1806 |
| Earl of Home | Nathaniel Gow, Edinburgh, ~1820 RSCDS Book 12 says "collected in the Border Country." |
| The De'il Amang the Tailors | Joseph Dale, [Unknown City], ~1799 Dale's Collection of Reels and Dances RSCDS Book 14 attributes this to Dale, in 1799, but I cannot find the original. However it was published by Cahusac in Cahusac's Annual Collection of Twelve favorite Country Dances With their Basses for the Year 1801 as The Devil among the Taylors., and he writes: The 1t. & 2d. sett all four & right hands across do the same back again lead down the middle up again & allemand hands 6 round | |
| Push about the Jorum ~ RSCDS | Bride, London, 1775‡ Bride's Favorite Collection of Two Hundred Select Country Dances The RSCDS attributes this dance to Skillern, but Bride published the figure first, then Skillern, Longman & Broderip, and Thompson published it as well. The only one I can find is Thompson, who writes: The 1st. Lady turns the 3d. Gent 1st. Gent. turns the 3d. 1st. Lady Allemand Right & Left with the 2d Gent. at the same time the 1st. Gent. Allemands with the 2d Lady Sett 3 & 3 top & bottom the same sideways hands six round back again lead out sides The original music consisted of 3 eight bar strains, all repeated. |
| The Camp of Pleasure | Platt, London, 1791 Six Cotillions and 12 Country Dances, for the Year 1791 RSCDS Book 15 says "from an old book of Scottish and Irish Dances (title page lost)." Longman & Broderip published Platt's Six Cotillions and 12 Country Dances, for the Year 1791 which contains a dance with this name and essentially this figure (according to Robert Keller's site. In 1792 Bland and Longman & Broderip published a different figure giving it the same name. | |
| Lochiel's Awa' To France | Blantyre MS, Scotland, 1805 The crib diagram attributes this to the Blantyre MS which is dated ~1805. I cannot verify this claim. |
| Lord Hume's Reel ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room In his A Companion to the Ball Room, 1816, Thomas Wilson published Lord Hume's Reel, wherein he writes: SINGLE FIGURE (1st. strain repeated 2d. played straight thro') The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain. The RSCDS has picked the third figure (the one marked "DOUBLE FIGURE") which means the music should be played AABAAB. " " indicates two repetitions of a of the first strain, and " " indicates one repetition of the second (each accounting for 8 bars of music). Wilson defines his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing. Many of them mean what you expect, but a few are surprising:
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| Twenty-First of September | Anonymous, date unknown† Although my copy of RSCDS Book 17 gives no attribution for this dance, both the Scottish Country Dance Dictionary, and the Scottish Country Dance Database attribute it to William Campbell, but The Regency Dance site's list of his dances does NOT include one with anything like this name. |
| Lady Auckland's Reel | William Campbell, London, ~1793†‡ Campbell's Eighth Collection of the newest & most favorite Country Dances and Reels The RSCDS attributes this to William Campbell, and he did devise and publish a dance named Lady Auckland's Reel, but I can't check whether the figure matches. | |
| Prince of Wales | William Campbell, London, 1795†‡ Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels Although my copy of RSCDS Book 18 gives no attribution for this dance, both the Scottish Country Dance Dictionary, and the Scottish Country Dance Database attribute this dance to William Campbell, 1795. According to the Regency Dance site's paper on Campbell's dances, Campbell never published a dance called Prince of Wales, but in 1795 he did publish (and indeed devised) a dance called The Princess of Wales's Strathspey, perhaps that is the origin of this dance. (I do not have access to Campbell's book to check the figure so I can't be sure. This is one of the few books by Campbell which can actually be dated, he took it in to the Stationer's Hall in 1795 to register the copyright. |
| Admiral Nelson | Blantyre MS, Scotland, 1805† | |
| None So Pretty - Wilson ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816 A Companion to the Ball Room Wilson writes: SINGLE FIGURE1st. strain repeat 2d. played straight thro & D.C. Wilson has a different figure for this tune in his earlier book Treasures of Terpsichore, 1809. Preston has yet another figure in 1796. Cahusac gives two figures in 1795. Campbell has a figure in Campbell's 9th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels from about 1794. While Rutherford, 1756 and Johnson, 1742 give the same figure (Rutherford's compleat Collection of 200 of the most celebrated Country Dances both Old and New, Vol. 1) — but the music they give is a different tune (for one thing it is a jig, not a reel). The following is an attempt to understand Wilson's DOUBLE FIGURE which is the basis of the Scottish Country Dance. In An Analysis of Country Dancing Wilson defines some of the terms he uses. A "whole figure" is just a "full figure eight" (as you might expect, Playford uses the same phrase). Wilson does not explicitly define "whole figure contrary corners" in his first edition, but he does in his second on page 104 of the 2nd edition of the Analysis (1811). Rather awkwardly, Wilson provides two different (contradictory) directions. In the first "the 1s cross down, W1 in front of M1, W1 around M3, M1 around W3, then cross up, W1 around W2, M1 around M2, and return home". In the second the "1s cross up, W1 around M2, M1 around W2, then cross down W1 around W3, M1 around M3, and return home. Chain figure for four is also defined in the second edition, on page 76 and it is what anyone else would call rights and lefts. Wilson gives a very unclear definition of "allemande" it might be a modern gypsy, or a back to back (he defines neigther of these figures). He says the two people doing the allemande walk in circles around one another, he does not mention taking hands, he does not say how their faces are oriented. | |
| Rakish Highlandman ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room Wilson, on page 96, writes: SINGLE FIGURE Tune played straight thro This is an interpretation of the DOUBLE FIGURE. The music is two 8 bar strains (jigs) both repeated. Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing. |
| The Express | Thomas Wilson, London, 1814†‡ Le Sylphe, An Elegant Collection of Twenty four Country Dances, for the Year 1814 According to the the Regency Dance site Wilson devised, and Button & Whitaker published, a dance with this name but whether its figure matches the RSCDS's, I cannot say. Since the dance contains double triangles, it seems likely Wilson was its deviser. | |
| Miss Devon's Reel | D. Mackenzie, London, 1795‡ Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels The RSCDS attributes this dance to William Campbell, and he did publish it, but he attributes it to "D. Mackenzie". On page 17 of book 10, Campbell writes: The 1st. & 2d. Cu Reel on the Ladys side the same on the Gents. side the 1st. Cu. lead down the middle up again to the top and Allemande. The music consists of a four bar strain and an eight bar strain. I assume it is intended to be played AABB. I think the RSCDS's interpretations of the reels is unlikely, given how crowded that would make the duple minor set. | |
| Village Reel | William Campbell, London, ~1793†‡ Campbell's Eighth Collection of the newest & most favorite Country Dances and Reels According to the the Regency Dance site Campbell did publish a dance with this name. Whether the figure matches I cannot check. |
| Marchioness of Blandford's Reel ~ RSCDS | William Campbell, London, ~1795 Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels Campbell writes: 1st. Cu set & change sides Back again — Lead down the middle up again to the top then 1st. & 2d. Cu hands across half round back again — Poussette quite round with the 2d. Cu hands 6 round Allemande. Where does Campbell mean the progression to happen? set & change sides Back again is not progressive. What about Lead down the middle up again to the top? The "up again to top" does sound as if it returns the 1s to their original places. Yet if you look at Campbell's The new German Waltze (also in book 10) you will see him use those same words where that is the only move which could be progressive. So I conclude that neither Poussette quite round nor Allemande is progressive. Campbell's hands 6 round suggests a 3 couple dance, but all the other figures are either for the 1s+2s or the 1s alone, Changing the circle six to circle four easily makes for a 2 couple dance. |
| Balmoral Strathspey | John A. Charles, Kawerau, NZ., ~1963 RSCDS Book 22 | |
| Peggy's Wedding | Mr and Mrs G Drysdale, Mombasa, Kenya, 1963 RSCDS Book 22 |
| The Auld Alliance | Jacques and Liliane Chamoin, Paris, 1967 RSCDS Book 23 | |
| Miss Hadden's Reel | RSCDS Publications Committee, [Unknown City], 1967 RSCDS Book 23 |
| Adieu Mon Ami | Thomas Wilson, London, 1814 Le Sylphe, An Elegant Collection of Twenty four Country Dances, for the Year 1814 |
| Lady of the Lake ~ RSCDS | Hill MS, Aberdeenshire, 1841† The Scottish Country Dance Dictionary attributes this to "J Cameron". In 1821, GMS Chivers published a dance with this name but a different figure. Boulogne (1827) Smyth (1830), and the Lowes (1831) did the same. Elias Howe, in Boston, 1858, published a dance with this name and a figure with some similarities, probably not a source but an example of a dance which evolved from the same root. |
| Duchess of York | Preston, London, 1797†‡ Preston's New Country Dances | |
| Miss Murray of Lintrose | John Bowie, Perth, 1789 A Collection of Strathspey Reels and Country Dances John Bowie calls this dance Miss Murray Lintrose, writes: Cast back one Couple Almand half round; cast back another Couple Almand half round; Lead up the middle cast of: Lead down one Couple & cast up one Couple: first Lady Almand with 2d. Gent: first Gent. Almand with 2d. Lady: |
| Miss Shaftesbury's Fancy | Anonymous, date unknown† |
| Land o' Cakes | G. Goulding, London, 1793‡ Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1793 Goulding spells the title The Land of Cakes. The adaptation is rather loose. |
| A Trip to the Netherlands | Anna C Holden, Birmingham, 1982 RSCDS Book 32 |
| Wisp of Thistle | Pat Kent, [Unknown City], ~1992 RSCDS Book 37 |
| My Friend Joe | Robert M Campbell, Ontario, Ca., ~1994 RSCDS Book 38 | |
| A Trip to the Drakensberg | Barbara J Rendle-Braime, [Unknown City], ~1994 RSCDS Book 38 |
| Joie de Vivre | Irene van Maarseveen, [Unknown City], 1996 RSCDS Book 39 |
| The Flower of Glasgow | Ruth Taylor, [Unknown City], 2010 RSCDS Book 46 | |
| High Society | John Brenchley, [Unknown City], ~2010 RSCDS Book 46 |
| Linnea's Strathspey | Tim Wilson, [Unknown City], 2001 RSCDS Book 47 |
| The Golden Years | Nora Sutherland, [Unknown City], ~2014 RSCDS Book 48 | |
| Rougemont Castle | Duncan Brown, [Unknown City], ~2009 RSCDS Book 48 |
| The Library of Birmingham | Kenneth J Reid, [Unknown City], 2015 RSCDS Book 49 |
| Fair Enough | Liza Halpenny, [Unknown City], 2014 RSCDS Book 51 |
| Thank You Patricia | Deb Lees, [Unknown City], ~2025 RSCDS Book 54 |
| Inveraray | Anonymous, date unknown† | |
| Lady C Bruce's Reel | Anonymous, 1801† Ladies' Companion | |
| Odd Thoughts | T. Straight, [Unknown City], 1783 24 Favourite Dances the Year 1783 Straight writes: Change sides & back again lead down the middle up again & cast off allemand with the right & left hand hands 6 quite round | |
| Rosnor Abbey | Anonymous, date unknown† |
| Captain Mackintosh ~ RSCDS | Thomas Wilson, London, 1816‡ A Companion to the Ball Room Wilson writes (page 42): SINGLE FIGURE Tune played straight thro Wilson spells the title as "Captain Macintosh". The music consists of two 8 bar strains. The RSCDS is interpretting Wilson's first DOUBLE FIGURE Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing, 3rd Edition.
This is an unusual meaning for "allemande", but, as best as I can understand, that is what Wilson describes. | |
| Miss Margaret Hill | Anonymous, date unknown† | |
| Prince Edward | Anonymous, date unknown† | |
| Sandy o'er the Lea | Thomas Skillern, London, ~1776‡ Skillern's Compleat Collection of Two Hundred & Four Reels and Country Dances |
| London | 26 |
| [Unknown] | 21 |
| Scotland | 3 |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 |
| Birmingham | 1 |
| Edinburgh | 1 |
| Kawerau, NZ. | 1 |
| Mombasa, Kenya | 1 |
| Ontario, Ca. | 1 |
| Paris | 1 |
| Perth | 1 |
| Roxburghshire | 1 |
| Unknown | 7 |
| 1750-1799 | 17 |
| 1800-1849 | 18 |
| 1950-1999 | 9 |
| 2000-2049 | 8 |
| Anonymous | Ladies' Companion, 1801. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | Blantyre MS, about 1805. Found in "The Atholl Collection" at the A K Bell Library of Perth. |
| " | Hill MS, 1841. I don't know where to find it. |
| John Bowie | A Collection of Strathspey Reels and Country Dances, Perth, 1789. May be found in the British Library |
| Bride | Bride's Favorite Collection of Two Hundred Select Country Dances, London, 1775. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Dundee Public Library. |
| William Campbell | Campbell's Third Collection of the newest and most favorite Country Dances & Cotillions, London, about 1788. May be found at the Cardiff University Library |
| " | Campbell's Eighth Collection of the newest & most favorite Country Dances and Reels, London, about 1793. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | Campbell's 10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels, London, 1795 |
| " | Campbell's 11th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels, London, about 1796. May be found in the Havard University Library |
| " | Campbell's 15th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances & Strathspey Reels, London, about 1800. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | Campbell's 19th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances, & Strathspey Reels, London, about 1804. May be found in the Havard University Library |
| Joseph Dale | Dale's Collection of Reels and Dances, about 1799. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, NY, Vault MD. |
| G. Goulding | Twenty four Country Dances for the Year 1793, London, 1793. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the British Library |
| Longman & Broderip | Longman and Broderip's Fourth Selection of...Country Dances, Reels &c., London, 1790. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, Mus. |
| Platt | Six Cotillions and 12 Country Dances, for the Year 1791, London, 1791. I don't know where to find it. |
| Preston | Preston's New Country Dances, London, 1797. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | Twelve Favorite Country Dances for the Year 1806 , London, 1806. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the British Library |
| Thomas Skillern | Skillern's Compleat Collection of Two Hundred & Four Reels and Country Dances, London, about 1776. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the Mitchell Library, Glasgow. |
| T. Straight | 24 Favourite Dances the Year 1783, 1783 |
| Thomas Wilson | Le Sylphe, An Elegant Collection of Twenty four Country Dances, for the Year 1814, London, 1814. I don't know where to find it. |
| " | A Companion to the Ball Room, London, 1816. Robert Keller's site says this may be found in the British Library |
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.