A solo Highland dance in two contrasting halves, a slow, stately strathspey followed by a fast reel, and the last of the four Highland dances that Primary dancers do not enter.
The Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch is a solo Scottish Highland dance made of two parts set to two different tunes. It opens with a strathspey, a slow, dignified dance rhythm, and moves into a reel, a fast and flowing one. In competition it is usually called the Reel of Tulloch for short, and it is one of the best tests of a dancer’s range because the same performer has to look composed and grounded in the first half and light, quick and tireless in the second.
In the Highland dancing championship template it is one of the four Highland dances, with the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance (Ghille Callum) and Seann Triubhas, as opposed to the National dances such as the Scottish Lilt or Village Maid. The rule book behind the template lets the youngest grade, Primary for dancers under seven, enter only Pas de Basque, Pas de Basque and High Cuts, the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance, so the Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch first appears when a dancer becomes a Beginner. It is then carried in Novice, Intermediate and Premier.
A round runs like the other solo dances. The competitor is called forward, takes the opening position and starts on the first note of the music. The slow strathspey section shows controlled, carefully placed steps and good line, and the change into the reel is the moment the tempo lifts; the panel watches whether the dancer makes that change cleanly or rushes ahead of the music. The adjudicator marks out of one hundred, split Timing 10, Technique 80 and General Deportment 10, and in the Championships the judges go on to give six clear placings.
Organisers keep it as a separate item because its challenge is different from the other Highland dances. The Fling is about steady rhythm on the spot, the Sword Dance about precision around the blades, and Seann Triubhas about sharp leg work. The Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch asks a dancer to change character mid-dance without losing technique. In the grades above Primary, a first, second or third place counts towards moving up to the next grade.
Where Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch comes from
The strathspey takes its name from Strathspey, the valley of the River Spey in the Scottish Highlands, where the slow dance rhythm was long associated with fiddle music. The “Tulloch” in the second tune is usually explained by a story that a congregation at a Tulloch church began dancing a reel to keep warm while waiting in the cold for the minister, but this is a popular tale rather than documented history. What is certain is that the pairing of a slow strathspey and a quick reel is a long-established part of the Highland dance repertoire.
Where Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch is run
On eTalenter the Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch appears in one template only, the Highland dancing championship template, where it is carried in four of the five progression grades: Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Premier. Highland dancing competitions are held at games and festivals across Scotland and in Scottish communities abroad, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; this page describes only the item as the template carries it, a graded progression rather than age bands.
- Scotland, United Kingdom
Key facts
- A solo dance, recorded as Individual and open to both genders
- One of the four Highland dances, alongside the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance (Ghille Callum) and Seann Triubhas
- Offered in four grades of the template: Beginners, Novice, Intermediate and Premier; Primary (under seven) does not dance it
- Published marking is out of 100: Timing 10, Technique 80 and General Deportment 10
- In the Championships the judges give six clear placings; a top-three place in a grade competition counts towards advancing
- Danced in two parts, a slow strathspey followed by a fast reel, so the change of tempo is part of the test
- The template carries a ten-minute ceiling, an app default because the rules print no time limit for this dance
On eTalenter, Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch
What a Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Technique, worth 80 of the 100 marks: clean, accurate steps in both halves, with turned-out legs, pointed toes and a steady body line from the first bar to the last
- The strathspey half: slow steps should be placed, controlled and unhurried, with the dancer using the full length of the music rather than running ahead of it
- The reel half: quick travelling steps that stay light, tidy and on the beat, without the footwork blurring or the arms and head losing their shape as the pace rises
- The transition between the two tunes: a clear, confident change of tempo on the music, with no hesitation, stumble or visible reset
- Timing, worth 10 marks: starting on the first note, every step landing with the music in both sections, and finishing together with the final bar
- General deportment, worth 10 marks: upright carriage, composed expression and steady presentation from the walk on to the closing pose, including in the tired final phrase
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch under Scoring Setup, or start from the full folk dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch
How entrants and their teachers usually get Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch right on the day:
- Learn and drill the strathspey and the reel as two separate dances first, then join them, so the change of tempo is practised rather than discovered on the day
- Count the strathspey carefully with a metronome or counted music, because its dotted, uneven rhythm is easy to rush when the dancer is nervous
- Build leg and ankle strength and stamina with rises, balance work and repeated runs of the reel at full speed, since the faster half comes when the legs are already warm and tiring
- Film the dance from the front and the side, checking that the line stays upright and the footwork stays small and tidy in the reel as well as in the strathspey
- Practise the join between the two tunes on its own many times, stopping and restarting at the change until it is smooth at the competition tempo
- Rehearse the opening position and the walk on and off as carefully as the steps, since deportment is a tenth of the mark before a step is danced
- After each event read the adjudicator’s comments, pick one correction and work on that alone before the next competition
Ready-made event templates that include Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Dancing Championship (RSOBHD) | On Stage | Marks | 4 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between a strathspey and a reel?
Both are Scottish dance rhythms. A strathspey is slower and more stately, with a distinctive uneven, dotted rhythm, while a reel is fast and flowing. This dance uses one after the other, which is why it is named after both.
Is the Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch a Highland dance or a National dance?
The rule book behind the template names it as one of the four Highland dances, with the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance (Ghille Callum) and Seann Triubhas. National dances, such as the Scottish Lilt and Village Maid, are listed separately.
Can young children enter the Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch?
Not in the Primary grade. Primary, for dancers under seven, may enter only Pas de Basque, Pas de Basque and High Cuts, the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance. A dancer becomes a Beginner at their seventh birthday and can dance it from that grade onwards.
How is the Strathspey and Reel of Tulloch scored?
The published scheme is 100 marks per dance: Timing 10, Technique 80 and General Deportment 10. The template records the item with a 100-mark maximum in every grade that dances it, so the panel enters one mark per dancer.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full folk dance judging criteria guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
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