Take the Floor comes to Loch Ness
April 29th, 2009Think of scottish country dancing and ceilidh music and many think of BBC Radio Scotland’s Robbie Shepherd. The man himself came to the shores of Loch Ness recently to broadcast his programme from the Invermoriston Millennium Hall in Invermoriston by Loch Ness.
See below for his recent article from the Press & Journal writen in the Doric about his experience (Doric is Scots dialect from the Aberdeenshire area - to find out more about Doric click HERE)
Great Show Robbie - I was listening while cooking my tea overlooking Loch Ness! The Mince & Tatties came out better for it and all!
The Doric Column
Lead me to the old songs
sung again for me,
Lead me to the dance time
swinging loud and free.
Lead me to the Northland – Andy Stewart
Published: 25/04/2009
NORTHLANDS it wis for me on Widnesday as far’s Inverness syne, turnin roon the neuks an crannies at’s the streets o the city, it wis doon the Northside o the River Ness tae Invermoriston.
Man it wis a gran hurl, me sittin in the back seat like Lord Muck, wi Loch Ness sae calm wi jist the antrin ripple, the different shades o green hyne up the hillsides an the cherry blossom in full bloom forbye the funn busses.
I hae aften pass’t throwe Glenmoriston bit aye haikit tae be farrer west wi little time tae spare, as it’s ere that ye either tak the road tae Skye or aance veer left on the A82 heidin for Fort William.
The ‘Take The Floor’ team were takkin up the invitation o the community volunteers tae record wir programme fae the fantoosh Glenmoriston Millennium Hall, biggit in 1999 wi the support o the Millennium Commission an celebratin its tenth anniversary.
Es replac’t the aal hall an it did yer hairt gweed tae see foo sic a scatter’t community hae gotten thegither tae mak eese o aa the facilities. I aye thocht o the Glenmoriston Arms Hotel as a stoppin place for toorists an the Store at the ither side o the road caterin for tenters an caravanners – papers, groceries an ither eerands for the sma bourachies roon aboot.
Damn the fear. There wis evidence aa roon acknowledgin the efforts an the dedication o a hanfu o fowk determin’t tae keep the community speerit alive. Oh, there’s mony ither plaicies, wi nae sae generous backin, I cwid name that dee the same – bit again I cwid reel aff the aul hallies bit a ghost o yestereer.
Noo, as aften happens in sic recordins, it disna tak lang for somebody or anither tae come up an link me tae days gyan by, so it wis es time roon.
We stoppit for a bite tae aet jist ootside Inverness fin es lady cam in aboot till’s.
‘Would you, would you be Robbie?’ Jist as weel I hid twa deems wi’s or aance the rumours micht hae startit bit I wis on safe grun fin the lady introduc’t hersel as Shirley at I hidna seen since God ken’s fan – the dother o oor gweed freens, James an Jessie Hepburn fae Mallaig, takkin’s back tae ma days in the fishsellin side o Claben.
Tae the nicht an the hall hoatchin wi the dancers furlin an hoochin tae the music o Nicky MacMichan an’s Band, we hid guest spots fae the verra talentit gaelic singer, Rachael Walker an the gran fiddle player o ‘Capercaillie’, Charlie McKerron fa I hae kent fae awa back fin I ees’t tae compère the Daily Record Golden Fiddle Concerts, an the eer in the early auchties fin he won the tap solo award.
Bit hold on! Fa shid be playin the fiddle as pairt o Rachael’s trio bit a young strappin loon bi the name o Ewan Henderson. The Henderson faimily are amang the maist talentit in the Hielans and their faither is Alan Henderson, fa wis in Walker’s Fishsellin Office in Mallaig as assistant tae neen ither than James Hepburn. Losh bit I kent Alan fin he wis coortin an noo he’s Provost o Fort William.
It’s a sma warl an I’m nae deen yet, cis efter the recordin, at ye can hear the nicht on Radio Scotland at five-past sivven, I wis haein a quaet dram at the bar fin I heard es distinctive vyce an a rug o the shooder made me turn roon tae half recognise the face an the maist welcomin hairty lauch.
‘Michty, Robbie, bit I see ye ilka eer at the Lonach – Willie Robertson!’ Losh, he soondit sae like his late brither Tam an jist as sociable.
I leuch tae masel as I held up the stairs o the hotel tae ma bed, myndin on the gran nicht we hid an Willie’s naitural tongue an thinkin o a hallie up Donside wi the lad jist rarin for a dance, haulin his wife on tae the fleer wi the band in full flight, ‘Lowse yer styes Muggie, I’m jist foo o music’.
See ye neist wikkeyn.
You can listen to this broadcast by clicking HERE

