WELCOME TO An Entertainment Site for Scottish Country Dancers - Enjoy the curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Golden Eagle
World Eagle Day
Mar 18
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls."
~ "The Eagle", Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)
Happy Eagle Day! Celebrate with a namesake strathspey that mirrors the grace of a golden eagle in flight, its wings sweeping through the air in fluid, soaring easy to learn patterns including a circle and ending with a more challenging diamond poussette to avoid those craggy craigs in flight!
The golden eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere, with a wingspan stretching between 1.8 and 2.3 meters, these powerful birds are for their dark brown plumage, accented by striking golden feathers on their heads and necks. In Scotland, they thrive in the rugged landscapes of the Highlands and Islands, favoring mountainous regions, moorlands, and peatlands where they hunt hares, birds, and even carrion. Fiercely territorial, golden eagles require vast ranges—sometimes up to 200 square kilometers! This strathspey requires only 3 couples in a 4 couple set, so plan your dance territory accordingly. 😜 💛 🧡 💛 🦅 🦅 🦅
The Golden Eagle
A day for raising awareness for protecting the eagle, Eagle Day promotes educational outreach and assistance in recovery of their natural environments.
The golden eagle breeds primarily in Scotland, where there are open, treeless areas down to sea level. Adult golden eagles are famous for the light golden brown colouring on their head, neck and shoulders. Their bodies are mostly a medium brown colour with lighter mottling. Golden eagles are rarely heard and adults generally only call when agitated. Hungry young birds make a loud 'yip-yip' sound that can be heard from some distance.
The white-tailed eagle, found in Shetland and parts of mainland Scotland has the Gaelic name of "Iolaire suile na grein," 'the eagle with the sunlit eye' for its striking, pale eyes.
Ancient peoples in Scotland would leave their dead in the open to be scavenged by birds of prey such as eagles.
"Eagle", in golf refers to a score of two under par for a given hole, and is an extension of the bird theme of good scores, such as "birdie."
Click the golden eagle for some Celtic eagle lore.
And to see the dance performed by RSCDS Edinburgh, at the City Chambers, Edinburgh, 2018, scroll down.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
