More than a dance

At first glance, this exhibition tells the story of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS), how Scottish country dancing emerged as a national style and connected to broader heritage traditions. But look closer. Look at the faces in the photographs and the handwriting in the notebooks. You will see not just steps and formations, but people. And many of those people are women.

Founded in 1923, the RSCDS emerged from the shadow of the First World War, a period of profound loss and social upheaval. A generation of young men had been lost, leaving thousands of women to navigate a world that offered them few places. It was into this breach that a small group of formidable Scottish women stepped. They were physical education pioneers, aristocratic visionaries, musicians and keen dancers. Of course, they were not alone. The first meeting books of the Society list many names, both women and men. But as this exhibition was set up for a run during Women’s History Month and beyond, it felt right to focus on the women for this particular display.

This exhibition is thus a spotlight on the women who contributed greatly to the development of the dance style and the Society – not merely preserving Scottish country dancing but resurrecting it. They took a tradition that was fading from popular culture and made it a global phenomenon. In the words of Society’s co-founder Jean Milligan, they “resuscitated an ailing patient”.

A note on time and omission

We are acutely aware that many more women deserve recognition than we were able to spotlight in the Living Heritage exhibition at Edinburgh’s Central Library. Indeed, every branch of the RSCDS around the world could nominate at least one important woman from their own local history. We regret that we could not include them all here. As a short addendum, we wish to acknowledge two long-serving RSCDS Secretaries whose daily labour held the Society together for decades: Muriel Hadden (1942 to 1967) and Muriel Gibson (1975 to 1988). The latter felt especially relevant as she started the collection which is now preserved and known as the RSCDS Archive. Their names belong in this exhibition, even if space and time have not allowed their full stories. We hope this exhibition is therefore a beginning, not a conclusion. There is also a story to be told about the male dancers, one we hope to turn to in the future.

The founders – the visionaries of 1923

Jean Milligan and Ysobel Stewart

Every great institution has its origin myth. For the RSCDS, it usually begins with a meeting arranged by music publisher Michael Diack in Glasgow, where Mrs. Ysobel Stewart of Fasnacloich met Miss Jean Milligan.

Ysobel Stewart brought the memory. In England, Cecil Sharp was pioneering revivals of English country dances from old manuscripts, but in Scotland these dances had never fully vanished and Stewart knew them first-hand due to her background. She had grown up dancing the old country dances and hearing the reels at traditional gatherings. As the Girl Guide Commissioner for Argyll, she was determined that Scottish Guides should know their own dances, not just those from south of the border.

Jean Milligan brought the discipline. A lecturer in Physical Education at Jordanhill College, Milligan was a product of the radical physical education movement sweeping through Britain. Trained in the famed Bergman-Österberg system at Dartford College, a hotbed for female physical training, she viewed dance not as recreation, but as a science of healing and coordination. Where Stewart saw heritage, Milligan saw health benefits and pedagogy. Together, they developed the style known today as the RSCDS style. They published the first “Book of Dances” in 1924, meticulously standardizing formations, figures, and steps that had previously been passed down in chaotic variations.

However, in addition to the dance-related stories, we also wanted to highlight other sides of these women. The RSCDS Archive keeps a notebook of Jean Milligan’s poetry with tiny sketches – quiet, observant verses that reveal a reflective soul behind the rigorous teacher and public figurehead. She was also an avid knitter. Her needles moved in rhythm, perhaps not unlike the patterns of a strathspey. She was a woman of many crafts. Dance was only the most public one.

The trailblazers – breaking barriers

Annie Scott Shand: the musician

You cannot dance without music, and when it comes to country dancing, nobody argues that Scottish tunes are fundamental to creating the national style. Even today, you see people dancing while quietly murmuring verses of famous Scottish songs.

Annie Scott Shand was a virtuoso pianist and composer who brought fiddle tunes to the keyboard. Her work helped codify the musical timing of the dances, moving them from the village hall to the dance studio.

There is another layer to her story. Keyboards have historically been considered a more female-oriented instrument. In the early 20th century, major ballet companies also began substituting piano for violin, making music accompaniment a possible female occupation – a shift that opened doors for women like Shand.

Lady Dorothea Ruggles-Brise: patroness and music scholar

While Milligan and Stewart worked the floor, Lady Dorothea Ruggles-Brise was instrumental in the selection of music, often consulting the Society’s Research Committee on musical matters. She was a serious scholar of Scottish musical tradition, following a long tradition of female Lady Patronesses supporting Scottish social dancing.

Her extensive collection of books on Scottish music, gathered over a lifetime of passion, was donated to the AK Bell Library in Perth, where it remains available for all to consult and is known today as the Atholl Collection. She believed that knowledge should be open. The RSCDS Archive is also fortunate to hold several rare books from her collection, published in Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Atholl Collection, and those books, are her living legacy. We wish more documentation of her work with the Research Committee had survived. Music library collections associated with female figures are rare. Most collections in the field of Scottish music, especially those of significant size, were gathered by men. Lady Dorothea’s collection stands out as a notable exception. It represents a moment when women were beginning to shift from being connoisseurs of music, appreciators of the art, to being experts whose knowledge shaped the field.

Shaping the Society

Meta Dow, Allie Anderson and Mary Isdale MacNab

While the founders set the vision, it was women like Meta Dow, Allie Anderson, and Mary Isdale MacNab who carried Scottish country dancing across the country and beyond.

Meta Dow was a major force in the early revival. Trained in physical education, she became head of women’s PE at Dundee Training College and helped establish the Dundee Branch in 1925, becoming one of its first teachers. She taught regularly, organised schools and earned a reputation as the “Miss Milligan of the East”. Apart from being a dancer and teacher, she was also a gifted watercolour artist.

Allie Anderson was a Shetland-born dancer and teacher who shaped Scottish country dancing in Edinburgh for more than six decades. She founded the Edinburgh Branch in 1924, trained generations of dancers, and led renowned demonstration teams, including the group featured in Scotland’s first television broadcast in 1952. Known for her exacting standards, sharp insight and deep commitment to young dancers, she helped define the “Edinburgh style” and left a legacy still felt in classes and performances today.

Mary Isdale MacNab was a prolific dance scholar who took Scottish dance traditions to Canada, where she taught and inspired new generations of the wider Scottish diaspora. She was active not only in promoting Scottish country dancing but also Highland dancing, understanding their common roots. Her research and choreography shaped iconic dances, and her papers remain a vital resource for dancers today.

All three were more than teachers. They were dance scholars, dedicated to researching the history of Scottish dance, preserving old forms and creating new ones. Their work as collectors, archivists and choreographers laid the groundwork for the RSCDS teaching method, a living heritage legacy that continues in every branch today.

Looking forward: guardians of the legacy

This exhibition draws mainly on items from the RSCDS Archive. But archives do not appear by magic. They are built by passionate people who, with time, may be called visionaries. They are not always founders, but they are guardiansm, and here we would like to honour the guardians as much as the pioneers.

Rosemary Coope

We are delighted to announce a recent RSCDS Archive acquisition: the papers of Rosemary Coope, formerly of the Vancouver Branch (Canada). Although we received her papers following her passing, through her research notes and gathered dance resources, her voice remains alive, along with the articles she published. As a librarian, she understood that if the Society’s history was not systematically collected, it would be lost: scattered in attics, forgotten in branch cupboards, thrown away by those who did not know its value.

Helen Lawrenson

Meta Dow’s legacy in Dundee is carried forward today by Helen Lawrenson, archivist of the Dundee Branch. Lawrenson wrote ‘Petronella to Prince of Wales’, tracing the history of the RSCDS in Dundee, and contributed to the publication ‘100 Years of Scottish Country Dancing in Dundee’. Through her archival work and writing, she ensures that the branch’s story, and the women who built it, are preserved for future generations.

Elizabeth Harry

Elizabeth Harry, current Treasurer of the RSCDS Edinburgh Branch, is a true treasure of the organisation. A qualified RSCDS teacher and tutor, she has led teacher training courses and remains deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of dancers. As an archivist, she has played a crucial role in preserving the branch’s history, drawing on materials such as the personal photograph album of branch founder Allie Anderson to connect past and present. Her passion for sharing that history was evident when she mounted an exhibition exploring the branch’s archives at RSCDS Headquarters, bringing together members old and new to celebrate their shared heritage.

Beyond her archival work, Elizabeth is also an accomplished choreographer. Her dance ‘Perpetua’ was featured in the Edinburgh Branch’s centenary celebrations, set to a strathspey tune composed in her honour. She has also been a voice for the Society in the wider world, appearing on BBC Radio Scotland to speak about the RSCDS and its traditions.

Her dedication to preserving and celebrating the branch’s story makes her a fitting successor to the legacy of Allie Anderson – and a vital link between the Edinburgh Branch’s past and its future.

The invitation – every branch has her name

If you are able to visit the Living Heritage exhibition, or are simply reading this short article, we invite you to listen to the crackle of the 1930s recording of The Bonnie Breast Knot, played by Annie Shand.

Hear the spirit? That is the sound of survival. That is the sound of women clapping back against despair with rhythm and grace.

But we also invite you to do something else. Every branch of the RSCDS around the world could name at least one important woman from their own history: a teacher who kept the branch alive during a difficult year, a musician who played until her fingers ached, a secretary who never missed a meeting for thirty years. This exhibition cannot name them all. But you can. When you return to your branch, start a list. Nominate her. Write her story down.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society is more than steps in a book. It is a living reminder of the women who believed that a reel could lift the spirit and that a nation’s traditions could be kept alive one dance at a time.

Traditional Dance Forum Scotland and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) extend their thanks to the RSCDS Archive team and to Honorary Archivist Alan Macpherson for his advice on the figures featured in this exhibition, along with all those who contributed their time and knowledge to make this exhibition possible.

If you’re into it, read into it

Whatever your passion, Edinburgh Libraries has something for it. With over 1 million items for loan or reference, Edinburgh Libraries really does have it all – from timeless classics to the latest TikTok sensation, picture books to graphic novels, travel guides and cookbooks, poetry and biographies. We’ve books and audiobooks for every age and interest; simply take your pick from our library catalogue! Reserve a book online and we’ll have it delivered to your nearest library within days.

Never been to the library before, or maybe it’s a while since you visited? This is the perfect time to discover what’s waiting for you. We have early years storytimes and Bookbug sessions, and events and activities for teens, families, adults and older people. Our libraries are warm and welcoming community spaces for all, for reading, creativity and connection.

The power of reading

Reading can transport us to another place or another time. It can help us escape daily pressures, find a moment of calm and truly relax. Great writing can stir emotions, it can make us laugh or cry. It can help us learn about ourselves, our passions, our world and empathise with others. Reading can help us find new perspectives or insights and it can develop and enrich our interests allowing us to share stories and build connections.

Reading is fun and reading is free

In Edinburgh, you’re only a short walk or bus ride from your friendly local library and from home or on the go, you have access at your fingertips to our Library2go service for ebooks, audiobooks, newspapers and magazines! If you’re not already a member, you can join in person at any of our libraries or you can join online.

Explore, discover and read into what you love at your library.

Our latest online exhibition, Postcards from hospital features historical postcards of Edinburgh hospitals. The digital copies of the postcards were kindly donated by a former colleague from her personal collection.

Some of the hospitals featured still exist although are somewhat changed in appearance and use. Many of the postcards have been written and sent, and some are clearly written during the person’s hospital stay, telling friends and family how they were or when they expected to get out. In these days, post was delivered several times a day so mail could be posted in the morning and delivered a few hours later!

Among the postcards are some of the 2nd General Hospital which many will know today as the Western General Hospital. Originally the Craigleith Poorhouse, it was taken over as a military hospital from 1914 to 1919.

There is an atmospheric view of the interior of the old Royal Infirmary at Lauriston Place.

On the reverse, is written,

“Ward 3 [?]
Dear C,
I am wondering how you are all getting on? This is a P.C. of the ward, I thought you would like it.
I don’t think I’ll be very long or I get home now. Trusting you are all well.
Love”.

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is also featured. On the front of the postcard below, the sender has handwritten,

“With love and best wishes for Xmas & New Year. The white patch is hanging on my ward balcony”.

If you look closely, you can see the balcony where the patient was residing. The hospital at Sciennes Road was opened in 1895 and closed in 2021. A new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People opened in 2021 adjacent to The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France.

The state of the weather is another recurring theme within the messages. A card sent in 1910 of Colinton Mains Fever Hospital states,

“This is the fever hospital for Edinburgh. Was very wet here all day yesterday.”

This hospital opened in 1903, closed in 2002 and is now a housing development.

Explore more of Edinburgh’s former hospitals in our Postcards from hospital exhibition on Capital Collections.

We also have lots of lists of reading suggestions you can browse to find award shortlisted books, readalikes and themed collections. See something you like? Simply click to reserve it and request to pick it up from your local library!

The Dice Was Loaded From the Start by David Annand – general fiction
Max Anderson, in his early forties, has been living in Berlin for a while when his wife’s career takes off and they relocate to London. But it isn’t the London he remembers from his youth; scraping by living in a flat share in Hackney. This time they move to a beautiful tree lined street with fancy neighbours Max names ‘the Boomers’. Then one day eight mischievous millennials move in down the street, and Max as the only Gen X’er realises that they all must pick a side.

The Sister Switch by Charlotte Butterfield – general fiction
Twin sisters Alice and Edie are morning TV’s favourite presenters. But their viewpoints are far from identical, and when a clash live on air threatens their careers they make a bet: neither could survive in the other’s shoes. Without telling a soul, they swap lives but their lives quickly spiral into chaos as they learn that things are more complicated than they seem.

Madelaine Before the Dawn by Sandrine Collette – general fiction
In a time outside time, the villagers of Les Montées suffer the rule of cruel Lords and try to build a life for themselves on stingy land. Resistance is a futile dream. One day a young girl, Madelaine, comes wandering out of the dark forest. She is magnetic, charming, and dangerous. When Madelaine slaughters a stag in defiance of the lord’s decrees, she unlocks a new destiny for the villagers.

Zomromcom by Olivia Dade – paranormal romance
Edie is ready to save her new sweet, human neighbour from the latest wave of zombie attacks. But is shocked to be swept up and protected by him, and his stupidly large sword instead. Turns out Gaston is an ancient vampire and he is dead set that Edie stay safely in the bunker until this latest zombie breach is resolved. Against her better judgement, Edie finds herself falling for the surly vampire as the two of them try to save the world.

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W Ihli – thriller
Ten children, all travelling home on bus 315, are abducting in broad daylight and buried alive. Jessa, the new bus driver, blames herself. She couldn’t protect these children just the same as she couldn’t protect her own daughter three years ago. Trapped twenty feet below the ground, Jessa and the children must find a way to outsmart their captors.

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz – crime fiction
After the tragic death of crime writer Annie Morisey, her daughter, Niamh, moves into her country cottage. Shut off from the world she’s able to push her mother’s untimely death from her mind. Until one day, an advanced copy of her mum’s book arrives through the letter box and the heroine from her books, the super competent Leah Rebecca Overton, shows up in the kitchen. Niamh’s world unravels as she tries to piece together why Leah has appeared and if there was more to her mother’s death.

The Misheard World by Aliya Whiteley – science fiction
Elize Janview is a soldier, one of the few survivors of an unimaginable weapon. She enlisted with the dream of finding those responsible and getting revenge. But she finds herself posted to the prison at Crag, far away from the enemy. Janview’s life is changed forever when a wooden box, containing the spy Marius Mondegreen who can read minds and breath fire, is delivered to Crag and everything she thought she knew about the war is uprooted.

Women, Seated by Yueran Zhang – general fiction
In the luxurious world of the Chinese elite, Yu Ling the nanny is used to slipping in and out from the shadows. But Yu Ling has secrets of her own. In the pressure-cooker of China’s political climate, the fate of even the most powerful families can crumble overnight.

Underspin by E. Y, Zhao – general fiction / sport story
Ryan Lo has been playing table tennis since he turned 8. His coach thinks that he has what it takes to go all the way. Through meticulous practice, Ryan rises to the top of the game, just as predicted. But now, dead just before his twenty-fifth birthday, he leaves grief and confusion in his wake. Underspin is about the pressure and injustice it takes to make a champion.

Find your next favourite read, whether in print, ebook or audiobook, via the library catalogue.

Come along to the Art and Design Library this month to see their latest exhibition –

Camera effigy

‘the likeness room’

What is it to be human? Since Narcissus gazed into a pool of water, Butades daughter traced the shadow of her lover on the wall, even back to the prehistoric hands on the walls of the Spanish caves of Maltravieso, people have been documenting their existence.

I was there.

I saw this.

I touched this.

Remember my actions when I have gone.

Photography provides a mechanism by which these moments of self can be recorded. Photograms directly capture the shadow of the body. Auto-imagery is made possible by the photo booth and the timer switch – cutting out the middleman – giving control to the subject to make their identity visible.

We are so tuned into recognising people that our pareidolia finds the forms of faces in clouds and architecture. Metonymy allows us to evoke the equivalents of our bodies in things like machines and nature. We project ourselves into featureless models, filling the blank plastic with society’s dreams.

As we conjure these images of ourselves, we seek recognition of our formed identities, remembrance of our lives. Modern autonomous surveillance sees us at all times, knowing us better than we care to think; our faces uniquely identifying us, allowing unseen observers to trace our activities. Biometrics link to our virtual selves, documenting and recording not just our appearance but our actions, preferences and biases – the actual and the avatar.

The likeness room contains many versions of ourselves – portraits, equivalents, mirages, projections, systems – each casting shadows and reflections to be fixed in time by photography.

The Camera Effigy exhibition is on show in the Art and Design Library until 29 April 2026.

Find out more about Edinburgh LoFi and view the exhibition online and follow them on instagram @edinburghlofi

During the storytime session, Ania read three wonderful books that captured the children’s imaginations. The group listened carefully, joined in with repeated phrases and enjoyed looking at the bright illustrations. Everyone sang a few songs and rhymes together and the children worked well in pairs to do a puzzle.

At the end of the hour-long session, the children were given an Bookbug Explorer Bag to take home with several beautiful books, pencils and stickers.

The Central Children’s Library has a Storytime at 11am every Saturday for 3 to 5 year olds. No booking is required, and everyone is welcome to join for 30 minutes of lovely book sharing fun.

Curated by our Resources Team, the Walking Collection features a mix of guides, maps and books to help you explore the great outdoors, whether it’s a quick local stroll or a longer walk. Available only for a limited time, so do come along, browse and find your next adventure!

You can also browse the full collection, reserve titles, and request to pick them up from your local library via the library catalogue.

And don’t forget to check out Libby for some more great walking-themed ebook, audiobook and magazine titles.

The competition attracted an impressive range of entries from Edinburgh residents, all demonstrating a passion for the city’s past and a commitment to documenting and sharing its stories. After careful consideration, the expert judging panel from the Old Edinburgh Club has selected two outstanding essays that exemplify the spirit of the prize.

Winner: Ice Skating in Edinburgh by Anna Comrie

A personal journey through Edinburgh’s ice skating heritage, from the 18th-century Edinburgh Skating Club to modern Murrayfield ice hockey.

Anna’s winning essay weaves together personal experience with meticulous historical research, tracing Edinburgh’s surprisingly rich ice skating history from the frozen lochs of the 18th century to today’s thriving ice hockey community. The essay explores the founding of the world’s first skating club at Duddingston Loch in 1742, the development of Edinburgh’s distinctive skating style, and the city’s indoor ice rinks from Haymarket to Murrayfield. Anna demonstrates how ice skating has been woven into Edinburgh’s cultural fabric for nearly three centuries.

The judging panel from The Old Edinburgh Club commended the essay’s ability to combine personal narrative with careful historical research, noting how the author brought Edinburgh’s ice skating heritage to life by connecting contemporary experience with the archival record. The judges were particularly impressed by the extensive research evident in the footnotes and the way the essay revealed less well-known aspects of Edinburgh’s sporting and social history.

Runner-up: John Knox’s Grave Markers by Jennifer Findlay

A chronicle of the changing markers commemorating John Knox’s burial site in Parliament Square from 1868 to present.

This carefully researched essay traces the fascinating history of the various grave markers that have indicated John Knox’s burial site in Parliament Square over more than 150 years. From the first modest sandstone square installed in 1868, through the expanded granite surround of 1958, to the removal in 1962 and the decades without clear marking, the essay reveals how changing attitudes towards public space, parking, and commemoration have shaped the treatment of Knox’s grave. The author, draws on newspaper archives, official records, and contemporary photographs to document each iteration of the marker and the debates surrounding them, including materials held in Parliament House itself.

The judging panel from The Old Edinburgh Club valued the essay’s thorough archival research and attention to detail. They felt it demonstrated the kind of local history writing the competition sought to encourage, taking a specific subject and revealing its broader significance in understanding how Edinburgh has remembered its past. The essay showed effective use of primary sources including newspaper accounts and official records to build a compelling narrative.

About the Prize

The William Anderson Memorial Prize has a distinguished history stretching back to the period following the publication of ‘No Ordinary Man’, when it was established as a school’s competition encouraging young people to engage with local history projects.

‘No Ordinary Man’ is a diary of William Anderson from High Riggs in the centre of Edinburgh. It outlines his life and his pursuit of knowledge whilst he lived locally before emigrating to Canada. 

The competition ran until the early 1990s, with winners being presented with an engraved Caithness glass bowl depicting scenes from the life of William Anderson.

The prize was revived for 2025 by a Canadian descendant of William Anderson, who is providing a cash prize for the winner. Reviving the competition at that time allowed it to be connected to the Edinburgh 900 celebrations, which marked the city’s 900-year anniversary of becoming a royal burgh. The competition invited residents to explore aspects of the city’s history through the Edinburgh 900 themes and to contribute new writing and scholarship to our understanding of Edinburgh’s past.

The winning essays will be published on The Old Edinburgh Club’s website during the week commencing 11 May 2026, and the authors will be invited to receive their prizes at a ceremony at Central Library, where they will meet the descendant of William Anderson who made this year’s competition possible.

Edinburgh Libraries and The Old Edinburgh Club extend warm congratulations to both winners and sincere thanks to all who entered the competition. The quality and diversity of submissions demonstrate the enduring fascination that Edinburgh’s history holds for those who call the city home.

For further information, please contact:
Edinburgh Libraries: Iain Duffus, central.edsc.library@edinburgh.gov.uk 
The Old Edinburgh Club: Alison MacDonald www.oldedinburghclub.org.uk/contacts/

Christine Babbs, school librarian at Liberton High School is area co-ordinator for the East of Scotland. During this year’s regional heat on 23 February she welcomed 10 additional Edinburgh School Library teams to the National Reading Champions quizzing family.

In a tightly fought quiz, Tynecastle High School won the participation award for their enthusiasm, sombreros and sunglasses while Trinity Academy won the best newcomer award for being placed forth behind our winners of George Watson College and runner-up, Denny High School. Students commented positively on their quizzing experience, some begging their librarians to enter next year.

Are you aged 12 to 16? Or do you know someone who is?

If so, don’t miss Central Library’s first ever teenage board games night which is taking place on Monday 13 April from 6 to 7.30pm.

Board games are great to test your skills and it’s a great social occasion to meet new friends and enjoy playing board games with them.

With a variety of different board games we’re sure we’ll have plenty that you’ll enjoy, and as well as that, snacks and drinks will be provided.

So why not book your free ticket? You can book your ticket online at www.ticketsource.co.uk