Queen’s Christmas present from Banffshire dancers

A BOOK and CD to commemorate 90 years of the Banffshire branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society has been despatched to Windsor Castle as a festive gift for the Queen.

More than 50 Banffshire dancers had an audience with the Queen when they were invited to dance at Balmoral Castle when the group celebrated its 80th anniversary.

Branch stalwart Anne McArthur said: “Undoubtedly our greatest highlight was in our 80th anniversary year when 57 members travelled by bus to Balmoral to dance for the Queen and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

“We appreciate that Her Majesty, like the rest of the population, has had few opportunities to dance or socialise in 2020.

“So, we have done the next best thing, and sent our book and CD to her at Windsor so she can safely enjoy being part of our celebrations in the comfort of her own castle.”

The branch’s foundations were laid at a public meeting in 1929, when the Buckie & District Branch of the Scottish Country Dance Society was formed.

At its first annual general meeting, it became the Banffshire branch.

The group is still going strong, with 12 trained teachers leading classes in Macduff, Turriff, Forglen, Dufftown, Mulben, Mosstodloch, Fochabers, Aberlour, and Buckie.

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