Frequently asked questions

The central office of the RSCDS, also known as Headquarters, is conveniently located in the heart of Edinburgh, just down from Princes Street and Shandwick Place:

12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7AF 

Though there are Branches and Groups located around the world, the RSCDS office is the only physical location. All of our Branches and Groups are run by dedicated volunteers and have no set office. If you would like to get in touch with a Branch or Group, please use the finder in our menu.

The RSCDS office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm GMT, and our phone lines are open from 10am - 4pm GMT.

Staff are quite friendly and we normally get many people dropping in to say hello, so come and see us!

Air

The closest airport is Edinburgh airport, with Glasgow being the second closest. To get to the office from Edinburgh airport you can either use a taxi, the Edinburgh tram, or the 100 bus that takes you right by the office. 

Rail

The closest train station to the office is Haymarket. Exit from the station and walk along Atholl Place towards Princes St, which turns in to Shandwick Place. 12 Coates Crescent is situated on the left-hand side.

Tram

The Edinburgh Tram, which departs from Edinburgh Airport and takes you right through town, stops just outside of Coates Crescent. Get off at the stop right after Haymarket.

Bus

Services 3, 4, 12, 18, 25, 26, 31, 33, 44 N3, N31, X31 and X70 all run by Coates Crescent, with stops situated within a short walk. In addition to these stops, if you are travelling by MegaBus or CityLink, services 900 from Glasgow and 909 from Dunblane go by Coates Crescent. Exit at the stop after Haymarket. Alternatively, the 100 Bus Service from the airport will take you past the office and the closest stop is only a short walk.

If you have a general inquiry, or would like to provide us with feedback, we encourage you to send an email to: info@rscds.org and we will reply within 72 hours. 

If you have a specific query or question for a member of staff, please visit our People page for contact details.

Members of the Management Board and Committees can be contacted through the RSCDS office, so please get in touch and let us know who you would like to reach and we can assist.

Please note that Management Board & Committee members do not work out of the RSCDS office.

If you would like to get in touch with a member or dancer, we can help. It is our policy though to not send out personal information, so we ask that you contact us with your query and we will pass it on to the person you are looking for and ask them to reply directly.

No. Usually in Scottish Country Dancing, dancers take a different partner for each dance. This adds to the social nature of the dancing, and means that you get an opportunity to meet and dance with lots of different people.

Nearly all Scottish country dances need at least six people to dance together. Anyone can ask anyone else to dance.

If you do have a partner bring them along; its a great way to get fit and have fun together.

Like most types of dancing, Scottish Country Dancing is an excellent, healthy exercise, and the fitter you are the easier it will be to learn.

Dancing is very good for your heart and lungs and will also improve your balance and bone density. Scottish country dancers have better agility, stronger legs, and walk more briskly than other people. To read more on the health benefits of Scottish Country Dancing please visit the health page.

Health Benefits of Dancing

We encourage warming up before class and stretching afterwards and most, if not all, classes begin with warm up exercises. But it's not just exercise to keep you fit - you can dance to to great music and have fun at the same time.

No way! As long as you are willing to have a good time there is no upper limit on age. Most RSCDS Branches are qualified to teach anyone aged 6 to 90+, and all you need is to enjoy dancing.

Classes can be aimed at a certain age groups, but most classes are based on skill level. At social events and in many classes, you will find people aged 18 dancing with people aged 75. Dancing brings everyone together!

Yes and no. For ladies, it is more comfortable to wear a wide skirt or stretchy leggings (so that you can move easily). Some men often wear the kilt for dancing, but again it is not essential, and for classes a lot of men wear a comfortable pair of trousers.

After a few dance evenings most people decide to buy a pair of dancing shoes designed specifically for Scottish Country Dancing, soft leather pumps or ghillies, but beginners should wear any comfortable shoes with a soft non-slip sole, such as jazz or ballet shoes or canvas plimsolls.

No. There is more emphasis on steps (footwork) than in Ceilidh dancing, and the formations can be a little more complex, but the basic technique can be learned at our weekly classes, a local day - or weekend dance workshop or dance weekends organised by your local Branch or the Society. 

Whether it is your first time or you are a seasoned veteran, dancers welcome you to the floor and will gladly help you through the dances. Remember, it's all about fun!

Not at all, but if you did, we would be very impressed as there are a lot of them! You don't have to learn any of them by heart if you don't want to, although you should try and learn the steps and formations, which are found in most dances.

Programmes for balls and social dances are published well in advance and weekly classes aim to practise the dances from forthcoming programmes. Also, at the event itself dances are often recapped (always recapped at our Branch dances) or even walked through before the music starts.

In addition, at social dances and formal balls you can typically find a programme with cribs or diagrams to help you understand the dance. You are always more than welcome to bring your own dance sheets and carry them on to the dance floor.

No. Men who are used to wearing a kilt find it comfortable for dancing, but many men dance in trousers for several years before investing in a kilt and some always dance in trousers. Women and men should wear clothes in which they feel comfortable and can move easily.

Dances and balls however can be formal and attendees are expected to dress their best. Men can wear a suit, trews or a kilt. Women usually wear a smart dress.

Not at all! Scottish Country Dancing is open to everyone and is enjoyed the world over, across Europe and North America to Australasia and Japan, wherever people love to dance. There are now more people doing SCD outside Scotland than within it, although in Scotland, many people have had the advantage of learning it at school.

Membership to the RSCDS is offered through our Branches and the central office, also known as Headquarters. 

We encourage you to find the closest Branch and get in touch to learn more about membership. Every Branch offers membership, and they are more than happy to help answer all your questions regarding membership and provide the appropriate form to fill out. 

To find the closest Branch please use our Branch & Group Finder.

RSCDS Membership

Annual membership to the RSCDS starts at £20.

Branches add their own fee on top of the £20 to help them pay for events, classes and various projects. Please inquire with the Branch of your choosing to find out more.

Central, or Headquarters membership, starts at £30.

We do offer discounts for couples and young dancers and encourage you to visit the membership page.

RSCDS Membership

Each Branch has their own method of paying for membership and this can be discussed when applying for membership. If you would like to become a Headquarters member, we accept all forms of payment (excluding American Express).

That is completely fine! We encourage all potential members to join their local Branch as there are many benefits you can enjoy from being part of a local dance community, but if that is not possible, there are a few options you can explore.

Joining a different Branch

If there is no local Branch, then you are welcome to join another Branch of your choosing. For example, if you live in Edinburgh, you could join the Edinburgh Branch, or you could join the Dundee Branch. Living in a certain area does not mean you have to join that particular Branch.

International Branch

The International Branch has members from around the world and no central location. Many members who are part of a Branch already join the International Branch to be part of their community. To learn more about the Branch and how to join please visit their website.

International Branch

Youth Branch

Similiar to the International Branch but aimed primarily at young dancers. If you are aged 24 and under we encourage you to learn more about the Youth Branch and check out their website.

Central (Headquarters) Membership

If you do not wish to join via the Branch options above then perhaps Central membership is for you! There are more benefits being part of a Branch or Group, but Headquarters Members do receive many of the same benefits as Branch members.

To learn more about membership options head to our membership page.

RSCDS Membership

Yes! We call this 'primary' and 'secondary' membership.

Your primary membership is the one in which you pay your annual fee through. The Secondary membership is where you would pay only the Branch fee.

For example, I am a primary member of Edinburgh Branch and a secondary member of Glasgow. I pay my RSCDS annual membership fee through Edinburgh, plus their Branch fee, and then I pay the Glasgow Branch fee to be a member with them.

Being a secondary member means you would receive the Branch newsletter, mailings, and perhaps receive discounts to classes and events. This is quite common with the International Branch, as many primary members have a secondary membership through the International Branch.

We encourage you to speak with the Branch to learn more about membership options.

To login to the website please click on the ‘My RSCDS’ button at the top right-hand corner of the website. You will then be taken to the My RSCDS page where you will see two tabs; Login and Register.

If you are already an RSCDS member then we have transferred over your details from our previous website to this one, so all you need to do now is set up a new password. For privacy reasons the RSCDS does not keep any passwords on records, so you will need to create a new one.

Please follow the instructions in the orange box and click on the link to create a new password

You will need to type in the email address that was registered on the old website and click submit. An email will then be sent to this email address with instructions and a link you will need to click.

Once you have clicked this link you will be taken back to our website where it will ask you to create a new password. After you have done this you will then be logged in to our website!

Please make a note of this new password and keep it in a safe place.

All of the above instructions are available in this written walkthrough, which we encourage you to download and read:

• Member Guidance - Logging in to the RSCDS Website

You can also watch this helpful video that will explain the login process.

If you are a new member, then welcome! We are glad to have you with us! 

Members who joined through a Branch will need to speak with their Branch Secretary. The Secretary will have created a membership record for you in our database. When they have created your record then your email address will be registered and you can then go on to the My RSCDS page and create a new password (please see the first tab above).

All members and registered users of the website must have a unique e-mail address. If you do not have a personal e-mail address, then you will not be able to login to our website.

The RSCDS has changed the login process so that going forward, if you would like to login to the website, you must have an email address. We will no longer be allowing members to use their membership number to login to the website.

If you previously used your membership number to login to the website, we suggest you create an email address through one of the many providers (i.e. Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) and then get in touch with your Branch Secretary so they can update your profile (for HQ members please get in touch with the RSCDS office). 

Once your profile is updated you will then be able to use the password reset function and create your own password to be able to login to the website. 

The staff at the RSCDS office do not have the ability to reset your password. If you forget your password at any time, please go to the My RSCDS page and use the password reset function. The system will then send an email to your inbox with a link to changing your password.

If there are any links from your Branch or Group website to any RSCDS website pages, we have set up redirects, so the user will automatically be sent to the same web page on our new website if they click on a link from your website.

If you set up a link on your Branch or Group website to a document on the RSCDS website, then you will need to change this yourself, as we have moved to a new server and any links to documents on the RSCDs website will not work.

You will need to copy the link to the document on the new RSCDS website and then insert it as a hyperlink on your website, just like you did before.

We are happy to help with this so please get in touch.

Yes and no. Before switching over to the new website we exported all the data from the old website, including member details, shop order information, membership renewal information, event bookings, etc. to import in to our new website and server. In addition, we have digital copies for our own records.

After importing all this data we asked our previous website team to destroy all files and wipe the server clean so there is no trace of any data on our old server.

Head to the shop section of our website, take a look around and if you spot something you would like, add it to your basket! Your digital basket will be updated to reflect your choice and you can then proceed to the checkout area to pay.

You can always access your basket by clicking the basket tool at the top right hand corner of the website.

Once you have paid and we receive notification here at the office, we will process the order and ship it out to you as soon as we can.

Please note that the Royal Mail collects packages for shipping from the office at 3pm GMT. If we receive any orders after 3pm GMT they will be sent out the following day.

Simple! Before heading to the shop you just need to log in to the website and your discount will be applied automatically when you go through the checkout process.

If you are already in the checkout process, you will be asked to log in before you check out, and your discount will automatically be applied. If you forget your login details please get in touch with the office.

Navigate to your basket and look for a small box on the bottom left hand side, beside a button titled ‘apply coupon’; here you can input the voucher code. Once you have done that click on the button 'apply coupon' and your basket will update with the new total amount.

As well, if you continue on with your purchase past the basket page you will have another chance to apply a voucher code before you checkout.

When going through the shop your order will automatically be saved, and you can then come back to the website at any point in the future to view your basket.

There is no "save" feature, your basket will continually update and save as you place items in it.

If you go in to the checkout process and then close the window, turn off the computer, leave the website, etc. your order will not be processed, however, your basket will be saved, so you can return later to continue the checkout process. 

The RSCDS operates in Pounds Sterling (£). When paying for an item please be aware of the current exchange rates in your country. 

We accept all forms of credit/debit card except American Express.

We also accept cheque and bank transfer.

Please note: when sending a bank transfer to the RSCDS you need to include your reference and/or invoice number so we can process the transfer accordingly. We would also appreciate it if you could include your name and membership number (this can all be added in the notes section).

RSCDS general account details for bank transfer:

• Bank: Triodos Bank
• Branch: Edinburgh
• Name of Account: The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
• Account Number: 20614195
• Sort Code: 16-58-10

International bank transfers

Beneficiary address: Triodos Bank, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS

Bank Name: Royal Bank of Scotland

Address: 10 Whitechapel, High Street, London, E1 8DX

Sort Code: 16-00-34

Swift/BIC: RBOSGB2LXXX

IBAN: GB11RBOS16003410000856

Reference: 20614195 The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society

Yes! All transactions made on the RSCDS website are safe and secure. The online shop handles many orders from around the world every day, and to ensure standards are met, the RSCDS does not hold any credit card information on-site. To comply with the current legislation, we no longer accept credit card numbers via email or post.

The RSCDS accepts payment by cash in person, by credit card over the phone or by cheque.

Orders made before 3pm GMT will be sent out that day. Any order made after 3pm GMT will be sent the following day.

Depending on location, and if you would like first or second class shipping, your order could take anywhere from two days to two weeks.

If you pay by cheque we will wait until payment arrives at the RSCDS office before sending the item.

If you ordered an electronic publication from the shop and completed your purchase with a credit/debit card or bank transfer, the publication will be sent to your registered email address automatically via a download link in an email. It will also be available for download after you have successfully gone through the payment process.

Please note that it may take five or ten minutes. If it does not arrive in 24 hours please contact the RSCDS office.

The Archive houses all types of information from throughout the history of the RSCDS. Our resident Archivist Alan Macpherson ensures everything is maintained and stored properly. 

We welcome any and all material and encourage you to get in touch!

Learn About The Archive

The Archive is located at our Central Office where all of the physical material is securely kept and stored. 

In recent years, through a generous grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have begun digitising all material and uploading it to our online Archive that is freely accessible to all users.

Digital Archive

This catalogue is a searchable database of descriptions and digital images of our archives. Our collections comprise of records of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and its Branches, as well personal papers of members; including published books, manuscripts, minute books, correspondence, photographs and audio recordings. 

To access the Archive please navigate to the footer of the website and click Explore the Archives.

Yes! We invite anyone to send us material and we welcome donations.

If you are in the area you are more than welcome to drop it off at the office. If this is not possible, please send in all material to the RSCDS Office and direct it to Alan Macpherson.

Please download the form below and include your name, Branch (if applicable), and any notes that we may find useful.

• RSCDS Archive Acquisitions and Disposition Policy and Form

All donations are kept here at the office unless otherwise stated.

The RSCDS is not accepting any new dance submissions at the present time. When the publication of new dances is planned, the criteria for consideration of those dances, will be circulated to all members and branches of the society at the appropriate time."

In the meantime, try bringing any new dances to the attention of your local branch/group, so that when local dancing resumes they could be danced in your area.

The answer is yes. You do need to be or become a member of the RSCDS if you wish for your dance to be considered for publication.

Our updates are kept in the Resources for Dancers. Click on link below to view the updates.

publication updates