Branch News 2026
RSCDS Banffshire Branch is delighted to share the news that one of our members Alison Milne received a British Empire Medal in the King's New Year's Honours list for her dedication to Highland Dancing.
Alison attends social dances in and around Banffshire and is a 'weel kent face' amongst our members and dancing friends.
Congratulations Alison
from all at RSCDS Banffshire Branch
“Classes with a Difference” January ‘26
This afternoon we left winter behind and travelled to Australia. Starting with a round-the-room dance ‘Down Unda’, then landing in New South Wales (floral symbol the Waratah, before heading to Western Australia (floral symbol the Kangaroo Paw). While there we visited the Glengarry Homestead before returning to NSW and Sydney to dance Napier’s Index and Katoomba Mist. Then it was off to Melbourne & Tasmania before having a Festival Fling in Adelaide and finishing off in Perth.
The dances – The music –
Down Unda (Bob McMurthy, The Devil’s Quandry) Ian Muir (Start Dancing) ‘The Alloway Reel’
The Waratah Weaver (Elma See, Second Graded Bk) Luke Brady (RSCDS Second Graded Bk)
The Kangaroo Paw (John Brenchly, The Kangaroo Paw) Marian Anderson (The Kangaroo Paw)
The Glengarry Homestead ( “ “ “ ) “ “ “
Napier’s Index (Brian Charlton, published in the Waratah Collection/Bk 45) Keith Smith & Muriel Johnstone (Cairngorms) ‘The Maid of the Mill’
Katoomba Mist (Brian Charlton, Sydney Down Under) Marian Anderson (Belfast Diamond
Jubilee) ‘Set of Reels’
Miss Marshall of Melbourne (Helen Russell, Vallin Coll. 4) Ian Muir (Vallin Suite 3)
Gold in Tassie (John Drewry, The Australian Book) Marian Anderson (Highlander 12)
‘The Dance Illustrator’
Festival Fling (Lily Davidson, Book 44) Robert Whitehead (RSCDS Bk 44)
Perth Meets Perth (Pat Stevenson, Perth 800) Marian Anderson (The Other
Kangaroo Paw)
It was a busy fun afternoon for the 3 sets of dancers and we were ready for our tea and home bakes at half time. We never got as far as Queensland, Northern Territory or Canberra though! Maybe next time?
Report by Dianna Baillie - RSCDS CTC Instructor
Kronach Trip - Banffshire Historic Twinning Association
RSCDS Banffshire Branch were invited to participate in the forthcoming Kronach trip which takes place in July 2026. Branch members who have signed up to the event will be demonstrating Scottish Country Dances during the trip - Members are: Anne McArthur, Alice Archibald, Alistair Mason, Liz & Gordon Bulloch, Linda Thomas .
The programme of events is not set in stone as yet, but it is hoped that the groups will visit schools, nursing homes, and hold a ceilidh on the last night. Watch out for the full programme coming soon...............
Groups attending (71 people)
The Country Quines, Kellas sisters from Keith; the Deveron Singers; The Banffshire Community Band; a team of tennis players from Cullen; a few from the Keith Men’s Shed and Foggie Men’s Shed! Highland Dancers and Scottish Country dancers from across Banffshire (RSCDS Banffshire Branch)
To find out more about the fundraising events - view Dance diary page
CLASS WITH A DIFFERENCE
15TH FEBRUARY 2026
It was a very cold day so we were encouraged to have 18 people attend the class plus the teachers Bill and
Rosemary. The class included experienced dancers, intermediates and three beginners. The theme was music by Jim Lindsay. Jim has played with many leading musicians over the years such as Bobby Crowe, Ron Kerr, Muriel Johnstone
and Keith Smith so we had a variety of music, with Jim on Accordion or Keyboard. The dances we chose were new to most folk but not difficult to learn as the focus was on having fun. A mixture of reels, jigs and strathspeys plus something very different, Tweedside from Book 19, a Minuette that meant dancing in waltz time taking really small steps.
The afternoon finished with The Scots Guards which is a modified version of The British Grenadiers and the class
learned how to dance a three couple poussette in reel time in order to change places after the second time
through. Then a final easy dance, Jamie’s Jig.
Bill and Rosemary.
Class with a difference 15 March 2026 2-4pm Arradoul SWI Hall
18 people with very varied levels of experience came along to this class.
Some time ago, I found myself in a set along with 3 Kates and a Kathleen and that
made me think of the many ladies called Catherine or one of its variants in my
regular classes and also in my family so “Catherine” in some of its many forms was
the theme for the afternoon.
We started with “Katherine’s birthday”, a simple 2-couple reel which served as a
warm-up, danced in 3-couple sets. We followed that with “Cathie McLaren’s jig”, 8 x
40 bars which includes the Spoke formation, then an 8 x 32 strathspey called simply
“Catherine” which includes a half-poussette and tandem half diagonal reels (no
change of leader) - I used the music “Beauty of the North” for this as it is the set
tune for another Catherine, “Miss Catherine Allan”. We then danced “Behind the
scenes”, 8 x 32 bar jig devised by Gary Coull for a faithful Dufftown club-member,
Kathleen Johnston, with original music “Kathleen Johnston’s jig” composed by
Maureen Rutherford and published in the RSCDS Banffshire Branch 90 th anniversary
book.
After a short interval, we danced “Cathie Smith’s reel”, 8 x 32 reel from Newcastle
Branch, then “Miss Catherine Ann”, 3 x 32 strathspey which suited the numbers well
and then we finished with “Lady Catherine Brodie’s reel”, a simple 8 x 32 reel after
some with a variety of formations not familiar to all present.
Well done to all who took part – it can be taxing dancing a lot of unfamiliar dances.
PS: the interval snack of course had to be KitKats!
Report by Isobel Turner, RSCDS Teacher