Hi there Ceilidh dancers. Well the price increase certainly did not deter you. We had to turn folks away when we had 184 in the hall just after 8. A queue formed and some said they would come back at 9. In the end everyone got in but some 229 attended. There was quite a lot of folk left between 8 and 9 and we increased the limit a bit too. It was a load and happy crowd and we hope you will all come again. If you want to be sure to be admitted you should come before 7:30 but although we stop admitting you there will not be a long wait although having said that maybe 40 or so were admitted in the 60 minutes after we announced we were SOLD OUT.
Can you spot yourself at the January 30 Ceilidh dance??
Where is it – 2 views
I am include this picture of Scotland that I have been sent (among many others) without any note as to where they are. Does anyone recognize it? I think it is on Skye but I don’t exactly know where. Hopefully at least one reader will recognize it and send me an e-mail – ceilidh@rscdsvancouver.org
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Myth: The Festival is the city’s biggest contribution to culture
Fact: True, the annual Edinburgh International Festival is considered to be among the most important cultural celebrations in the world, but it isn’t all the city has up its sleeve. The Festival Fringe, for example, is the largest arts festival on the globe to feature live theatre and comedy performances and last year 1.94 million tickets were sold – and it doesn’t stop there.
Edinburgh’s International Film Festival is the oldest continuously running film festival in the world. The Edinburgh International Science Festival was the world’s first science festival in 1989 and is still Europe’s largest. Even the Edinburgh International Book Festival is the biggest of its kind. Not bad, Edinburgh, not bad.
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It has been a wet but warm winter so far. Hardly any frost and no snow – at least where we live – so not very nice for winter sports. But the winter Olympics are on so you can stay warm and watch others try to achieve glory for themseves and their country.
The Love to Dance workshop and afternoon dance is on February 21. For all of you who may be interested in learning more about Scottish Country dancing this might be a good introduction. The workshop is on a Saturday morning and all info and registration is at Love To Dance Registration
The number of subscribers to, this newsletter at the end of 2025 was 575 but only about one third open the newsletters which is a few more than attend the ceilidh dances. For the amount of work involved it hardly seems worthwhile. Maybe I should stop sending the newsletters and just send out notices. What do you think?
Please pass along the website to your friends and maybe they will subscribe – www.vancouverceilidh.org
If anyone has any suggestions or complaints regarding the newsletter please let me know – ceilidh@rscdsvancouver.org ==============================================================
the-turf-house-at-Glencoe-visitor-centre`
Please see “Coming Events” tab for all information.
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- Golf is played by twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun.— Jim Bishop
- It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.— Hank Aaron
- The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can’t see him laughing.— Phyllis Diller
- I had a wonderful experience on the golf course today. I had a hole in nothing. Missed the ball and sank the divot.— Don Adams
- When the ducks are walking, you know it is too windy to be playing golf.— Dave Stockton
- Someone once told me that there is more to life than golf. I think it was my ex-wife.— Bruce Lansky
- The most important shot in golf is the next one.— Ben Hogan
- The best advice I can give for playing a ball out of water is – don’t.— Tony Lema
- Never break your putter and your driver in the same round or you’re dead.— Tommy Bolt
- Golf’s three ugliest words: STILL YOUR SHOT.— Dave Marr
- The older you get the stronger the wind gets… and it’s always in your face.— Jack Nicklaus
- Never bet with anyone you meet on the first tee who has a deep suntan, a 1-iron in his bag, and squinty eyes.— Dave Marr
- I was lying ten and had a thirty-five foot putt. I whispered over my shoulder: “How does this one break?” And my caddie said, “Who cares?”— Jack Lemmon
- The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.— Pete Dye
- I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead.— Bob Hope
Myth: The Royal Mile is a mile long
Fact: Edinburgh’s most famous of streets has been lying to us for too long, and it’s time for those cobblestones to ‘fess up and face the consequences. Sometimes known as Edinburgh’s High Street, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long from end to end which is actually a different size to a modern day mile. For context, one mile today measures around 1.6 kilometres, while a Scots mile is about 1.8km.
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In-Callendar-Park-Falkirk
The next Ceilidh Dance is Friday, February 27, 2026. You still have some time to spread the word about all the Ceilidh Dances as that is the best (and cheapest) form of advertising. It is great exercise and fun, for all ages, too. Note the new price – $20 (students $15)
The format for all of the regular monthly Ceilidh Dances will be the same with the class from 7 — 7:45 pm and the dance from 8 — 11 p.m. and all dances will be walked and talked through. The price is only – $20 or $15 for students which, for what you get is a super bargain — everyone is welcome. No partner is required and you should wear FLAT, comfy shoes and loose clothing. Children are also welcome but should be prepared to dance with other people as some of the dances require a change of partner. Come early as we have set maximums for the class 80 (if we get the 2/3 of the hall) and the dance 160 (may be adjusted)
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Myth: There are plague victims buried under Bruntsfield Links
Fact: Between the 15th and 17th centuries the plague hit Edinburgh hard and the old Burgh Muir forest – which then covered most of the city’s south side – was used to isolate plague victims in an attempt to stop the epidemic. These days grassy Bruntsfield Links with its short-hole golf course is pretty much all that remains of Burgh Muir, and a rumour has spread (fuelled by many a ghost tour guide) that the lumps and bumps on the Links are a direct result of the bodies buried underneath.
While one or two unfortunate plague victims may have passed away en route to Burgh Muir and been laid to rest along the way, the majority were disinfected and treated in the makeshift hospitals there, rather than being abandoned or buried in the wilderness. Leith Links, however, is a different story…
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Thanks to Belinda we now have a presence on Instagram so you can follow us on instagram.com/vancouver.ceilidhs
https://www.instagram.com/vancouver.ceilidhs?utm_source=qr
Please check it out and make Belinda very happy!!
colourful-view-of-shops-and-flats-in-Edinburgh.
It really is never too late to come along and join in one of many Scottish Country Dance (SCD) classes and even though all classes have started up again you will still be made welcome. Many classes have a policy that the first night is FREE! Plan to come along to try out a class next week. There are classes all around and on different nights so
GIVE IT A GO!
Go to either www.rscdsvancouver.org or www,vancouverceilidh.org for a list of class locations and times.
For those who don’t know SCD is a fabulous pastime which is super exercise for body and mind. SCD is, naturally, rooted in Scotland but there are groups in almost every country so you can learn here and then dance with other groups when you vacation or travel. SCD is not to be confused with Highland Dancing which is more solo dancing. SCD is usually done with a partner in groups or sets however you do not need to come with a partner. It is more akin to Square Dancing. It takes a year or two of classes, workshops, etc. to get the basics learnt then you can hone your skills in advanced classes. You start by learning the steps and formations. Dances (of which there are over 13,000) are made up of these formations so a good grounding will give you the ability to learn a new dance fairly quickly. SCD has its HQ in Scotland and is known as the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) and there is a Vancouver Branch of the RSCDS under which there are many clubs throughout the Province (there also are Branches in Victoria and Seattle). There are a great many classes and the ones in the Vancouver area are listed below. Come along — check us out — the first night is usually free and thereafter it will average about $10 a night and that’s for a 2 hour class! You will find many friendly people who will be eager to help you and welcome you to their club. You never know you actually might like it!!
Check the list of classes at either at www.vancouverceilidh.org or www.rscdsvancouver.org. Note that the latter website has the latest updates to temporary changes to times and locations
as well there are classes all up and down Vancouver Island, a number of the Gulf Islands, the Cariboo, Okanagan, etc. etc. and there are various groups all over this great Province, Country, World and who knows where else! Check the Branch website for all these details – www.rscdsvancouver.org
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the-sun-through-the-trees-was-taken-in-Fettercairn-in-Aberdeenshire
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For upcoming events see www.vancouverceilidh.org and www.rscdsvancouver.org.
Other announcements etc:
Seattle Branch – info at www.rscds-seattle.org
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The next regular monthly Ceilidh Dance will be held Friday, February 27, 2026 in the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street, (73rd & Hudson which is between Oak & Granville), Vancouver, We need everyone to help us get as many new comers (as well as former Ceilidh Dancers) as possible to come and join us. The Ceilidh Dances are a great way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Invite all your friends along. Contact me if you will have a group of 12 or more and we can give them a discount but only if we know in advance and they all come before 7:30!!!
What a great way to celebrate and have fun. It really is good exercise so tell all your frends to come to the next dance AND to bring their other friends, spouses, partners, etc. It only costs $20 – it is worth so much more in fun, exercise and camaraderie. Suggestions to improve our advertising are always welcome. Don’t forget to tell them about the website www.vancouverceilidh.org and get them to “subscribe” to the newsletter. Tell them to come early for it is popular!
We always need your support both by coming along and by helping us to advertise these dances by whatever means you use to communicate with your friends be it e-mail, Face-Book, Twitter, Text or even telephone! Most of you have been to at least one Ceilidh Dance so you know how it goes. You don’t need a partner; you don’t need any experience; you should wear FLAT soft soled shoes; we walk, talk, and call every dance and you should come to have fun and have a good evening on exercise and entertainment and maybe even to learn!
There is a FREE class from 7 — 7:45 p.m. and the dance from 8 — 10:30 p.m. with music by Calanais.
The schedule for the 2026 season shapes up as follows:
All on Fridays of course —
2026
February 27
March 27
April 24
September 25
October 23
November 27
Fact: As much as we all love to hate them, someone (maybe even someone you know and love) has been breaking the rules and actually travelling on the bloody trams. 4.92 million people used the Edinburgh trams in their first year of service, working out at an average of over 400 thousand travellers per month.
On top of that, a recent survey has revealed that 95 percent of tram users are openly satisfied with the service. Traitors.
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You should check the website – www.vancouverceilidh.org – from time to time as you can find various pages listing “Ceilidhs and Events;” Classes:” Duncan’s List;” etc. On these pages you can check all the upcoming events, where all the classes are located, times, etc. You should also have a look at the Vancouver Branch website from time to time – www.rscdsvancouver.org – as there is always useful information on it and it is a very good looking site.
If you have any questions regarding the Ceilidh Dances send them to me at ceilidh@rscdsvancouver.org
Please check the website – www.rscdsvancouver.org for updates, pictures and news.
Dance — it is good for your health.
Arbroath-sunset
Keep sending jokes, pictures and info you wish to have included. Don’t forget to look at our web pages at www.vancouverceilidh.org
If you know of anyone who would like to be on the mailing list please send them the web address – www.vancouverceilidh.org and ask them to subscribe. If anyone has good pictures from the Ceilidh Dances please send them to me so I can put them on the web page.
Myth: The tale of Greyfriars Bobby is a totally true story
Fact: As much as we love the heartbreaking tale of cute little Skye terrier Greyfriars Bobby, the accuracy of his famous story has been challenged many times over the years. The legend goes that the pooch’s owner John Gray was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard and the fiercely loyal Bobby spent the rest of his days (fourteen years) sitting on his master’s grave. Contradictory historical statements from Edinburgh residents claiming to have known John Gray and Bobby mean that the truth is still unclear, and many believe that Bobby was simply a stray dog living in the graveyard who was featured in a fabricated newspaper story.
Enjoy yourselves – come Scottish Country Dancing – for it is good for your health and you never know you just might …..!
Arran-from-Troon
May your troubles be l, may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness come through your door.
Duncan ceilidh@rscdsvancouver.org