Here,we hope to bring you interesting and enjoyable information about Scotland that includes the geography, history and culture of the country. In the meantime, click on the links below for wonderful sites to visit about Scotland.
The Official Clan Donnachaidh Website
FIFE-an ancient kingdom in Scotland
The Tartans Pages-Scotland's Internet
Learn All About Scotland
This article is graciously contributed by our Scottish friend,Huntingtower,the author.
It was to be, that chust a wee while ago, I saw the lads and lasses meandering their ain way to the school dance, and that put the auld grey cells back into motion, as I remembered the way it was that, here in Scotland, the dance halls became popular and had their own unwritten customs. Aye, happy days indeed, not then the standing about shaking you body on the spot, with the lass you were the dancing with almost at the other side of the dance floor, nae, it was what I wid call the proper dancing where you at least held a lasses hand. Aye, and wha amongst can but re-call thon unwritten customs? And it was this I re-called: The laddies would often as not stand on one side of the floor between dances and the lassies on the other. As each dance was announced "Please take your partners for the "whatever" "there would be the most fanatical mad dash across the floor to choose a lassie, when then the laddie would pose the legendary question, 'Are ye dancin?" and the reply being, "Are ye askin'?" It was Usual that a different partner would be chosen for each dance until their came a wee mutual agreement of the offer to 'lumber' the girl home. The term 'lumber' meant accompanying her either on foot, bus or tramcar to where she lived in the hope of a cuddle and a goodnight kiss. And it would be that mony laddies missed their last bus, or tram and had a long walk home, while some were fly and found out the destination before they committed themselves to a girl in the first place. And it was to be that me myself did find myself with a wee 'lumber' and a true enough story of the night I had a lang walk hame, aye it was in the York House Hotel Saturday night dance that I met a bonnie lassie, herself from a farm just outside Luncarty (about 5 miles north of Perth), and it was to be that as I walked her to the bus stop in Kinnoull Street, that as we rounded the corner, there was the last bus to Luncarty moving aff. Weel with great speed it was myself that took aff, after it, hoping that when it had to stop at the white line across the junction of Kinnoull Street and Athol Street, I myself would be able to chap upon the door of the bus and 'hold it up' until thon bonnie lass could but board it, aye, and maybe a wee kiss from herself for my troubles, but it was myself that was to witness that the driver of thon single decker was to ignore the white stop line as he turned into Athol Street and with the next set of traffic signals at green he himself put much emphasise on touching the accelerator and try as I might to catch thon bus, it was the tail lights of the single decker that became much smaller as it disappeared into the distance. Upon returning to the lassie braw, with myself not feeling all that great, due in all probability that I had also partaken of a few pints of the 'Black Carling Lager', I found herself now near to tears that her last bus hame was but a memory and her good folks without the telephone, and themselves who would be the worried itself, and not the price of the taxi fare between us, it was me, being the perfect gentleman, that offered to accompany her on her walk home, and as we headed out the Dunkeld Road was it not myself that had the most brilliant idea. That with a wee detour to my hame itself, I could then secure my faithers pedal cycle and make much more haste to her home destination, and so it was, that after a mile and a half detour we were soon upon my faithers bicycle, her upon the handlebars with my jacket beneath her for more comfort, and after much pedalling and thankfully with the wind behind me it appeared that that great idea of mine was just the brilliant itself, and as we arrived at the farm cottage that was home to her, there was the family reception awaiting her, parents obviously much worried but now relieved that their daughter was safe and well and after the explanations it was her father himself that inviting me to partake of the 'cratur', and after a guid few glasses of that fine nectar of 'Scotch Whisky', it was time for me to cycle back hame again, but it was to be the combination of the whisky (probably of the lager, previously taken as well) and thon lovely scottish air that saw me unable to co-ordinate my foot and hand movements upon my faithers bicycle and I can yet remember falling off said bike a few times, until I decided to 'ditch' the bike and walk hame. And worse too, for was the wind itself not now in my face as I made my way hame, albeit with gait not as true as would normally be the case, and somewhere along the route, I must have have decided to have a woodbine (cigarette) and that I must have turned around in order to shield my matches from the wind, in order to light up said woodbine, and then in my wee bit drunken state I had forgot to turn into the wind again and walked away quite happily with the wind behind me, straight back into Luncarty village. Weel mistakes are made and eventually I made it hame, pretty sobered up may I add, and with but a sore heid itself in the morning, and worse still when I had to walk once again towards Luncarty in order to retreive my faithers bicycle, which thankfully was still where I had previously abandoned it, aye, faither could have taken me there in the company car, but it was my punishment to walk for it and cycle back hame again, this was above the scolding for drinking under the legal age, and it was to be that neither the York House Hotel nor any other dance establishment was to be in receipt of my custom for another twa years. And the sad thing was, that for all my troubles that very night and next morn, I never ever did receive either a boosie nor a goodnight pog. Huntingtower.
The music that you hear is a traditional Scottish song called Last night there were four Marys
Scotland
Immediately following the links, you can enjoy reading about Scottish dancing and music.Please come back and see us again real soon!
Scot Search Engines and Links
SCOTTISH DANCING
CUSTOMS
It is published on this website with his permission.
We hope you enjoy reading it and please respect his copyright.
©Huntingtower(aka Hamish Jamie Jim James Hamie MacGregor Whyte)©
SCOTTISH MUSIC
~ The Four Marys ~
Mary Queen of Scots' ladies in waiting were all called Mary
Tonight there'll be but three:
There was Mary Seaton and Mary Beaton
And Mary Carmichael and me.
Word's gane tae the kitchen
And word's gane tae the hall
That Mary Hamilton's great wi' child
By the highest Stewart of a'
Arise, arise, Mary Hamilton
Arise and come wi' me
There is a wedding in Glasgow town
This night we'll go and see
She put nae on her robes of black
Nor yet her robes of brown
But she put on her gown of white
Tae ride into Glasgow town
Oh, often hae I dressed my Queen
And put on her braw silk gown
But all the thanks I've got tonight
Is to be hanged in Glasgow Town.
Oh, often hae I dressed my Queen
And put gold in her hair
But noo I've gotten my reward
The gallows tae be my share
For little did my mother think
When first she cradled me
The lands I was to tread in
Or the death I was tae dee
Oh, happy, happy is the maid
That's born of beauty free
It was my dimplin' rosy cheeks
That's been the doom of me
Cast off, cast off my gown, she cried
But let my petticoats be
And tie a napkin around my face
The gallows I would not see
They'll tie a kerchief around my eyes
That I may not see to dee
And they'll never tell my father or mother
But that I'm across the sea.
Please Visit Her Site!
Sequenced by Barry Taylor
Page Created November 14, 2000
Page Last Updated April 04, 2004
Copyright 2000-2004
All Rights Reserved