Musicians recall Queen’s love of Scottish dances

A couple who regularly played traditional Scottish country music for the Queen have shared memories of her enjoying dances at Balmoral Castle well into her 90s.

Fiddlers Paul Anderson and wife Shona Donaldson, who also sings, said the summer balls would see landowners rub shoulders with ordinary Deeside folk, and the monarch was at ease speaking the Doric scots.

Mr Anderson, from Tarland, Aberdeenshire, plays during services at the nearby Crathie Kirk where the Queen was a regular worshipper.

He said: “She loved traditional Scottish music, loved Scottish country dancing and had a very convincing local dialect – it put them at their ease by speaking to someone in their own dialect.”

Ms Donaldson played with her husband at the summer Ghillies’ Balls and recalled: “She would be up dancing.

“They all seemed very relaxed.

“The balls are a mix of local landowners and local folk that work in the community.

“It’s quite surreal to do a Dashing White Sergeant, come up through someone’s arms and suddenly be faced with a set with the Queen in it, and off you go away dancing.”

Mr Donaldson said: “And she was beaming.”

His wife replied: “She absolutely loved it, she would encourage people to get up and dance, and that’s her aged 93.”

Mr Donaldson added: “Most people in this part of the world will be deeply saddened, it’s the end of an era.”