10 Great Reasons to Try Scottish Country Dancing in Milan
Looking for a unique and engaging way to stay fit, meet people, and experience authentic Scottish culture in Milan? Look no further than Scottish Country Dancing (SCD) with the Milan Scottish Country Dancers (MSCD). Whether you’re a beginner or already love all things Scotland, here are ten great reasons to give it a try!
1. It’s FUN!
The best reason of all: it’s FUN! They say it’s to do with the endorphins that are released by the brain during physical exercise, which “increase the feeling of wellbeing”.
2. It Improves Your FITNESS
Another good reason for taking up SCD is that it raises your level of FITNESS. It tones up your muscles, gives you more puff and helps you lose weight. It is also good for your heart as SCD is primarily aerobic.
3. It’s a Great Way to Make FRIENDS
The third main reason for taking up SCD is that it is a good way to make new FRIENDS. Sharing a course with a certain frequency and having a common interest makes it easy to get to know new people who can potentially become friends.
4. The MUSIC Will Move You
These three: FUN, FITNESS and FRIENDSHIP, are the classic benefits of SCD oft-quoted by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. But any discussion of SCD would be incomplete if no mention was made of the MUSIC. It is the heart and soul of the way that we dance. The origins of SCD as we know it, mainly from the 18th century onwards, are not what you might think. Dance steps and patterns usually came from the Continent, often influenced by folk dancing, but also by what was danced at royal courts and assembly halls. They tended to be introduced by itinerant dancing teachers, who were often French. Hence a lot of the terminology is French (pas de basque, jetée, allemande, poussette…). And it is still unresolved whether the term “country dancing” really was invented by Queen Elisabeth I who observed her peasants dancing and wanted to copy them at her court; or whether “country dancing” is merely a corruption of “contre-danse”, i.e. couples dancing opposite each other.
Either way, when all these influences reached Scotland, they got transformed into something different. Why? Because of the music. Scottish reels and jigs tended to be faster than their English or Continental equivalents, so the dancing got faster to suit them. Then, just to slow things down a bit, we invented the Strathspey: music of rare elegance, to which we do our best to dance elegantly.
Someone has defined Scottish Country Dance music as “compulsive”, and I agree entirely. The music on its own is enough to raise your spirits. And if it is capable of getting you out the house on a cold wintry Monday evening, then it truly is magic!
5. You’ll Learn About SCOTTISH CULTURE
As you can tell from the above, doing a course of SCD also brings you a huge dose of SCOTTISH CULTURE, quite apart from the dancing and the music. Often dance names need to be explained, as well as correctly pronounced. For example, when teaching “Luckenbooth Brooch”, I explain that this was – and still is – a brooch usually made of silver, showing two hearts entwined, traditionally exchanged by betrothed couples. But the name has nothing to do with “luck”. It refers to the booths (small shops or stalls) around the base of Edinburgh’s St Giles Cathedral that were locked at night. Hence luckenbooth.
There is also a dance called “Ciomar a tha?”: an abbreviated version of “Ciomar a tha thu?”, which is Gaelic for “How are you?”. Gaelic spelling is odd to say the least: this phrase is pronounced Kimmer a ha u! So that’s another dose of Scottish culture for you.
6. Perfect for Those CRAZY ABOUT SCOTLAND
Many of our members are CRAZY ABOUT SCOTLAND even before they join us. If you don’t share the same enthusiasm, you soon will! We even go there 2 or 3 times a year. At least once for dance events, like the famous Aberfeldy Highland Ball in Blair Castle or the RSCDS’s Summer or Winter School. These trips already include a certain amount of tourism. If you crave more, then one of our members organises 2 trips to Scotland per year: small groups of 8 people who visit castles, museums, pubs, restaurants, maybe the Edinburgh Festival with its world-famous Military Tattoo… 10 days of full immersion in Scottish cities, countryside and culture.
7. It’s for PEOPLE OF ALL AGES
Another major attraction of SCD is that it can be done by PEOPLE OF ALL AGES (from 8 to 80+, so they say). At the moment, the age range of our group is approximately 40 to 79. Sooner or later, we hope to start a course for children. So let us know if you are interested.
8. No Expensive Gear Needed
Not often discussed, but well worth a mention is the fact that to do SCD there is NO EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT that you have to buy. At a basic level, you can get away with wearing almost any kind of flat shoes (heels are a real no-no). Later you may feel tempted to buy proper dancing pumps (called “ghillies”), but these only cost around €40 online. The one major investment that you might end up considering (if male) is a proper kilt outfit, but while we encourage it, a kilt is not essential.
9. It’s AFFORDABLE
In fact, it is reasonable to say that, compared with other sports or hobbies, Scottish Country Dancing is NOT HEAVY ON YOUR PURSE (or sporran). We have a annual membership fee of €30, a chunk of which gets paid to CSI (part of CONI) to provide you with accident insurance. Then you will be asked to pay €65 for each 10-lesson course (we run 3-4 courses throughout the “academic year”, which runs from September to the end of May). You’d pay 3-4 times as much for a Pilates class… and SCD is much more enjoyable.
10. We Host TRADITIONAL EVENTS All Year
Last but not least, we organise a series of TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH EVENTS throughout the year, dance-based obviously, but with food and drink (yes, even haggis, neeps & tatties on Burns Night!), so you can invite friends and family for a unique night out.
2025–2026 Event Calendar
Saturday, 13 September 2025 The Welcome Ceilidh (ceilidh is Gaelic for a gathering)
Saturday, 29 November 2025 St Andrew’s Night (to celebrate our Patron Saint)
Saturday, 24 January 2026 Burns Night (to celebrate our national poet, Robert Burns)
Saturday, 7 February 2026 Rugby Ceilidh (we’ll watch Italy v Scotland, then England v Wales at the King’s Pub with an apericena and excellent draught beer, followed by an evening of SCD)
How to Join
Join us on 13 September at 19.30 for our Welcome Ceilidh. Entrance free with some light refreshments offered by us. An excellent opportunity to decide whether or not SCD is for you, so that you can start your first course on Monday, 15 September at 19.00. Location: All Saints Church, Via Solferino 17, Milan (Brera District).
Contact & Info
To book or to get further information, contact us at info@milanscd.it or look at our website: www.milanscd.it. You can also contact us by sms or on WhatsApp at 348 0851930.
Come for the dance, stay for the community. We look forward to welcoming you!
John Murphy
President of the Milan Scottish Country Dancers
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