<<ddp:Conrad, Adrian#1276>> has kindly provided a summary of the instructions for this dance (from notes he made in the 1970s).


*Extra info: Provost Skene’s House (with Skene pronounced “Skane”) is, according to Aberdeen City Council, “the oldest surviving townhouse in Aberdeen”, dating from 1545 but with many later additions and alterations. In 1940 it had been proposed to demolish the building but after a long public campaign, restoration began in 1951. This dance commemorates the public debate at that time, with the final long circling figure representing the final debate in the city council that led to the decision to restore the property.*

**Strathspey**  
*First figure (Bars 1-32)*  
1-8: Starting to their diagonal right but curving to the left, all women dance in to meet in the centre linking RH (2bars), dance ½ RHA to end level with the opposite man (2 bars), then dance slowly (4 bars) anticlockwise (L Shldr) around that man into his partner’s place.  
9-16: Starting to their diagonal left and curving to the right, all women meet again in the centre (2bars) for ½ LHA (2 bars), then dance more quickly through own places and clockwise (R Shldr) behind partner (2 bars), back towards the centre to meet but turning away to their right, out into places (2 bars).  
17-32: Men repeat Bars 1-16 but mirror-image, i.e. start dancing to left and curving to right for ½ LHA, etc.  

*Second figure (Bars 33-64)*  
33-40:1s & 3s advance 2 steps to meet in centre, set, then turn facing person (e.g. 1M+3W) twice BH, with the two pairs separating slightly.  
41-48: 2s & 4s advance NHJ under arches made by 1M+3W, 1W+3M (2bars), all with facing person NHJ dance out to corner places (i.e. at right angles to their approach to centre, e.g. 1M+3W to 2nd place, 2 bars), set to and change places RH with the person in own place (their corner, e.g. 1M & 2W).  
49-64: Repeat the pattern of Bars 33-48 but with side couples (2s & 4s) advancing to start.  

Clap for the change to reel time.

**Reel**  
*First figure (Bars 1-32)*  
1-8: 1W+3W turn 1¾ with R elbow grip (4 bars) to face corners (4M & 2M), turn corners just over once round with L elbow grip (2bars, end in gap between own place and corner) and all turn partners just over once with R elbow grip to places (2 bars).  
 9-16: 2W+4W repeat Bars 1-8.  
17-24: 1M+3M repeat Bars 1-8 but with a 2¼ R elbow grip turn in Bars 17-18 to face corners.  
25-32: 2M+4M repeat Bars 17-24.  

*Second figure (Bars 33-64)*  
33-40: 1s & 3s with RHJ dance in to centre (2bars), with setting steps turn R about to face places (W under the raised R arms, 2 bars), dance back to places (2 bars), with setting steps turn L about (W under the raised R arms).  
41-48: (In one bar) 1s & 3s dance in NHJ to form a double arch on the diagonal line running to the left of their places, all facing clockwise, 1L&3L joining RH in centre and making arches with partner, then (6 bars) rotate this double-arch formation about the centre of the set, one-eighth rotation each bar, and (1 bar) separate to places while 2s & 4s NHJ dance anticlockwise around set to places, passing under an arch of the 1s or 3s at the end of each odd bar.  
49-56: 2s & 4s repeat Bars 33-40.  
57-64: Similarly to Bars 41-48, 2s & 4s make a rotating line of arches but this time with 2M+4M joining LH in centre and the formation working anti-clockwise, while 1s & 3s NHJ dance clockwise around the set under the arches.  

*Third figure (Bars 65-96)*  
65-80: All women dance slow RHA continuously twice round in centre (2 bars per quarter-rotation), ending in places, while all men dance NHJ with the adjoinng woman 1/4 round (i.e. in a double wheel, 2 bars), then releasing hands, turn once R about with two setting steps (2 bars); repeat the 4-bar sequence three more times until back in own places.  
81-96: Repeat Bars 66-80 but with roles reversed: all men dance slow LHA continuously twice round in centre while women alternate between accompaning men ¼ round NHJ (2 bars), and turning R about with setting (2 bars).  

*Fourth figure (Bars 97-128)*  
97-112: All circle to L (16 bars)  
113-120: Continue circling (4 bars) but closing up until in a tight circle and stand with heads lowered (4 bars)  
121-128: Resume circling, opening out to original circles, but on last bar dance in raising the still-linked hands, and call “Skene”.