Glenbuchat Heritage

17 Scott Skinner and Strathdon

Picture above: Advert for J Scott Skinners Dancing classes in Aberdeen in 1855

James Scott Skinner the famous fiddler and Composer from Banchory was initially a dancing master when his early attempts at touring with his fiddle failed. He started his career in Strathdon with teaching classes at the Lonach hall. His mother Mary Agnew had come from Strathdon

Mary Agnew
Birth Abt 1811 Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Death Unknown
Spouse
William Skinner 1801–1845
Children
Ann Leith Skinner 1827–1886
Mary Skinner 1829–
William Skinner 1831–
Alexander Forbes Skinner 1833–1883
Susan Skinner 1835–1876
Andrew Skinner 1838–
Arabella Skinner 1840–
James Scott Skinner 1843–1927


The following passage from the ‘Visit Banchory’ web site outlines his early career. He became a teacher of dancing at Balmoral to Queen Victoria’s family and there would have met Alexander Walker the Newe Gardner, fiddler and composer, with whom he became friends and fellow musician.

Click for details about Alexander Walker’s life

“Skinner never finished his apprenticeship with Dr Mark, leaving in 1861 he spent several months touring as a black face minstrel with the New Orleans Theatre Company before returning to Aberdeen. Peter Milne recommended taking a course of dancing lessons from “Professor” Willie Scott, with the intention of becoming a “Professor of Dance” himself. During the year long course, a friendship developed and Skinner incorporated his teacher’s surname with his own, becoming James Scott Skinner.

In 1862 he won a Highland dancing competition in Ireland and later in the year a fiddling competition at Inverness. He also became a professional dancing master, basing himself in Strathdon. Before long he had a very influential roll of pupils throughout Deeside and beyond, including Queen Victoria’s tenants and children on the nearby Balmoral Estate. Skinner recounts how John Brown influenced that event. “I remember him shoving me right up to where sat Her Majesty in company with the then Duchess of Atholl. “Noo, Skinner”, he said in a quite loud voice when opposite the Queen (he didn’t seem to care whether she heard or not) “Ye’re in the richt quarter noo! Shak’ yer fit man! Shak yer fit!”.


The following newspaper reports refer to his dance teaching clases

Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser - Tuesday 01 October 1867

Strathdon. — For some time past, Mr Jas. S. Skinner, teacher of dancing, has had classes in Strathdon and Glenbucket. The closing assembly ball for the class in Strathdon was held in the Lonach Hall Tuesday last. The invitation extended to the classes in Glenbucket, and there were a goodly number from that district, most of them dressed in Highland costume, and headed by a youthful piper, McNicol. The pupils rehearsed all their figures of ‘contra dances,’ ‘sword dances,’ and ‘Highland flings. Mr Skinner presented a silver medal to be competed for the scholars in Strathdon, and also another for those Glenbucket. to be competed for at the finishing ball at Glenbucket on Friday evening last. The contest was a lively and animating scene. There was also competition by girls for prizes contributed by a few parties present. After those competitions wore over, the general company joined in the dance and very pleasant evening was spent. The music was by Messrs Skinner and Walker, Castle Newe, assisted by J. Walker, Castle Newe, with the double bass, and was varied by performances the Highland bagpipe by Mr John Grant, piper to Mr Forbes of and Master Nicol McNicol, Glenbucket Lodge. Mr Skinner has been successful, and is much liked in this district, where he will receive every support when he opens classes again.


Aberdeen Herald and General Advertiser - Saturday 06 January 1855

Strathdon Assembly Ball
Mr. Skinner, teacher of dancing, held his second assembly in the Lonach Society Hall on the evening of the 29th December. The ball room was filled with a respectable audience of pupils, their parents, and the general youth and fashion of Strathdon. The " Highland Fling," “Ghillie Callum," and other native Highland dances, beside the more modern innovations on the art, such as polka waltzes, the. were, to say the lean‘, moat creditable to the pupils, and not less no to the teacher, Mr. Skinner, whose great abilities in his profession, have procured for hint an invitation to London to teach hie real Highland style of dancing in the Caledonian Rooms, as well as to attend to the tuition of some of the leading families in the metropolis. We wish him every success. We may mention that the company at the hall was much enlivened by the presence of Sir Charles Forbes and party from Castle Nene. An excellent string band was conducted by Mr. walker, Newe, while Duncan Campbell, with his promising pupil, James Mearns, did ample justice on the Highland bagpipe, no much relished amongst the natives of the mountain glean of the North.
— Banffshire Journal.



Aberdeen Herald and General Advertiser - Saturday 22 December 1855

Mr. Skinner’s closing assembly for the season was held Monday evening, in the County Rooms, when a large and most respectable company honoured him with their presence. The hall was under the patronage the Countess Dowager Erroll. Lady Agnes Duff, James Duff; Esq. M.P.; Sir Charles Forbes of Newe, and Sir William Forbes of Craigievar—a fact of itself which speaks highly indeed for the estimation in which Hr. Skinner is held teacher. The evening’s proceedings commenced with number of fashionable dances by the more juvenile pupils—all of whom won warm applause from the spectators for the activity, grace, and precision with which they executed their various tasks—although, in truth, there did not appear to any task in the matter—the happy smiling faces of the nice young maidens and their gallant little cavaliers, betokening only delight they flew down the middle and up again, crossed bands, set partners, two and two and turn and accomplished many other evolutions, the exact titles of which we must confess quite mysterious as —is crochet work.

When the first part of the programme had been gone through, Duncan Campbell and James Mearns, the well-known pipers to Sir Charles and Sir William Forbes, entered the hall playing on their spirit-stirring instruments the march of their elan ; after which, assisted by several other brethren of the pibroch, they performed number of strathspeys, reels, etc. admirable style—many of the spectators, who, we dare cay, never danced before, getting quite excited on the subject, and executing saltatious of character that astonished themselves, and would have delighted the eyes of the hardest-hearted Highlander that ever snapped finger and thumb, or tasted mountain dew.

Several of the more advanced pupils next performed the Reel o’ Thulleachan Gillie Callum, the Lonach Fling,” in style that well-maintained Mr. Skinner’s reputation as a teacher of this particular line of dancing. The proceedings throughout were the agreeable and hearty character, young and old alike footing it merrily till morning—aa well they might, considering the music they had—the band, in addition to Herr Urban, Mr. P. Milne, and assistants, including the three Misses Wilson, whose performance on two grand pianofortes gave the utmost pleasure and satisfaction to all present.