The Gardens Scottish Country Dancers is a non-profit making group dedicated to arranging summer evenings of Scottish Country Dancing to live music in the open air in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh - an activity which has gone on for over half a century. We also organise some indoor dances allowing dancers to indulge their enthusiasm when many of the clubs have reduced activity for the summer.
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A demonstration team shows the way Photo courtesy of and Copyright of Andrew Murphy |
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Happy Dancers Photos courtesy of Tom Nisbet |
We shall be dancing outdoors in Princes Street Gardens in the Ross bandstand enclosure on Monday evenings from 25 May to 3 August inclusive, with the exception of 20th July when there will be no dancing.
In addition we shall dance indoors on Tuesday evenings in the
Church Hall of St George's West from 26th May to 28th July.
NB dancing originally planned for 4th August has
been cancelled due to the non-availability of the hall
Indoor dancing will continue throughout August, but will be on Monday evenings at St. Thomas-Junction Road, Leith, from 10th August to 31 August.
Dancing will begin at 7.30pm and end at 9.30pm in all cases. Entrance is £ 3.50 for adults and £ 1.00 for children.
The events in the Princes Street Gardens are open to all, from experienced dancers to spectators. As in previous years, each dance will be demonstrated once by a team of experienced dancers. The programmes principally comprise dances for which prior experience is desirable, but some ceilidh dances are also included which can be picked up instantly, and there are one or two of modest complexity which can be managed if sufficient people in the set know the dance.
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The indoor dances are not demonstrated, but are called once before the dance. These dances, therefore, are more suitable for those with prior knowledge.
Download or view the detailed programme (pdf file 120k). You may find it convenient to fold it into a 4 page booklet.
Need a reminder of the steps? Here are potted instructions for our
next few dances (as pdf files approx 160kb):-
| At the Ross Bandstand | At St. Georges West |
Finding your way around the city is not easy at present with the work going on in preparation for the Edinburgh trams, so here is some material we hope will help you to get to our dances.
Note that the buses which used to run along Princes Street are
diverted. Details of these diversions (as updated on 6th June)
can be found at
http://www.lothianbuses.com/PrincesSt-diversionsJUNE.php.
Note too that the places where pedestrians can cross Princes Street are restricted to just two, namely at Charlotte Street and at the foot of the Mound. Click here for a map (pdf file 464 kb) with pedestrian routes. You will see that the pavement on the south side of Princes Street (i.e. the gardens side) is closed, but that the paths inside the gardens are open, so that is not a problem.
Just occasionally the weather in Edinburgh is not suitable for open-air dancing. On those occasions the dancing may be cancelled. As some of the bands and the demonstration teams come from a distance away, the decision whether to proceed or not is taken soon after 3pm on the day of the event. This website will be updated with the status as soon as it is known
Useful weather links
Do you have somewhere where a poster could be displayed? If so please download, print and display this publicity poster (pdf file 635kb).
We would really welcome your thoughts on our activities at any time.
Running the program in Princes Street Gardens is fairly labour-intensive, so offers of reliable help, mainly with stewarding would be welcome. All are also encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting to comment on the season just past and the next, and to consider standing to be on the committee.
Back to the topFor information about the Gardens Scottish Country Dancers
contact:-
| Margaret Burns (Chair) | 0131-661 1768 |
| Margaret Harris | 0131-337 4197 |
| Agnes Macmichael (Secretary) | 01506-500457 |
| Agnes Reed | 0131-556 2140 |
The Annual Meeting of the Gardens Scottish Country Dancers will take place in Early September. This meeting is open to all, and we will really appreciate your input into making our future activities a resounding success.
We are grateful for the support of many people whose input has made this year's program possible.
We thank several clubs and individuals who have made donations which have been vital in securing the financial position. We mention especially very generous and other support from Sir Tom Farmer.
Our thanks too to the clubs who have supplied demonstration teams and devised the programs, to those who have acted as stewards, to our callers, to the musicians who have put a spring into our steps, and to all who have come along to dance and so made our mutual enjoyment possible
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