WELCOME TO AN ENTERTAINMENT SITE FOR SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCERS!
Enjoy this curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
The Flag of Skye
Sep 16
September Days
September in Skye
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"My dream takes me to the Isle of Skye,
A place of peculiar beauty and soul touching magic.
I step on this land for the first time in my life
Yet my heart knows I belong here.
I’m not a mere stranger. I even have my own path."
~ My Isle of Skye, Ada Ireland
September on the Isle of Skye brings autumn colours to a landscape already rich with history and legend. The Old Man of Storr and the extraordinary rock formations of the Quiraing seem natural settings for tales of giants, fairies and ancient warriors, while the clear waters of the Fairy Pools add their own touch of Highland enchantment.
Skye also played a famous part in the Jacobite story. Following the defeat at Culloden in 1746, Flora MacDonald helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape “over the sea to Skye,” disguised as her Irish maid, Betty Burke. Flora’s courage made her a Scottish heroine, while the prince’s escape became the stuff of songs, poems and legend—considerably more romantic in retrospect than it must have seemed while government troops were in pursuit!
Dunvegan Castle has been the ancestral home of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for approximately 800 years. Among its treasures is the mysterious Fairy Flag, traditionally believed to possess the power to save the clan in moments of terrible danger. Clan Donald also left a strong mark on Skye, and the island’s history contains more than enough clan rivalry, ruined castles and disputed territory to keep several centuries thoroughly occupied.
Skye’s traditions remain alive through piping, Gaelic music, Highland dancing and Scottish country dancing. The Skye Highland Games are held in Portree each August, with dancing, piping, athletics and the heavy events. The Isle of Skye Country Dance Group also holds local classes and dance events, keeping reels, jigs and strathspeys moving across the island—regardless of what the weather may be doing outside.
This September inspired 32 bar strathspey for 3 couples was devised by Ruth Barnes for a 44th wedding anniversary, remembering a honeymoon spent on Skye.
A perfect dance for a season when the hills are beginning to turn russet, brown, and gold! 🕺
September in Skye
The Isle of Skye has a history as dramatic as its mountains and sea cliffs. Norse settlers controlled the island for centuries, leaving their mark on many place names, before Skye became closely associated with the great Highland clans—particularly the MacLeods of Dunvegan and the MacDonalds of Sleat.
Clan feuds, cattle raids and struggles for control shaped much of Skye’s early history. Dunvegan Castle, ancestral home of the MacLeods for more than 800 years, is linked with legends such as the magical Fairy Flag, said to protect the clan in times of grave danger.
Skye also played a celebrated part in the Jacobite story. After the defeat at Culloden in 1746, Flora MacDonald helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape across the sea to Skye, disguised as her Irish maid. The episode later inspired the famous “Skye Boat Song.”
The 18th and 19th centuries brought hardship through the Highland Clearances, when many island families were removed from their homes or forced to emigrate. Despite those losses, Gaelic language, music, storytelling and dance remained deeply rooted in island life. Today, Skye’s history survives not only in its castles and ruins, but also in the legends, tunes and dances passed from one generation to the next.
And for Scottish Country Dancers, check with the RSCD Branch of Skye in Portree to join the next dance event!
Click below to visit their website!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
