You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Scotland on Sunday when Batemans Bay hosted an afternoon of Ceilidh festivities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There was no shortage of kilts, bagpipers and haggis when Batemans Bay Uniting Church, the Caledonian Society and U3A hosted the celebration of Scottish culture at Hanging Rock on December 2.
Kicking off the afternoon was the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club Pipe Band, who led the congregation in a selection of Scottish tunes.
The talented dancers of the Batemans Bay Caledonian Society, led by Cath McMaster, keep the crowd entertained as they showcased their Scottish dances.
The audience wasn’t left seated for long and quickly joined in on the fun, packing out the dance floor for their own spot of dancing.
Master of Ceremonies Gordon Anderson had the crowd in stitches and had no shortage of Scottish jokes to share.
The U3A singers also took to the stage, with conductor Lyn Brown leading the group in some traditional favourites from the Scottish songbook.
Ceilidh means a Scottish party or get-together ... it was just a way the crofters got together whenever they could.
- Kay Killick
A highlight of the afternoon was the piping of the haggis, with the Ode to the Haggis led by Bob McInnes.
Organiser and Batemans Bay Uniting Church elder Kay Killick said more than 100 people joined along in Sunday’s all-Scottish affair.
“Ceilidh means a Scottish party or get-together. St Andrew’s Day was on Friday, November 30, so this was the nearest Sunday to the day and why we chose to celebrate,” Ms Killick said.
“It was just a way the crofters got together whenever they could – remember they didn’t have much in the way of electricity or television in those days.”
She said the crowd were treated to an authentic haggis feast, sourced from a Sydney butcher and prepared by helpers from the Batemans Bay Uniting Church.
“Originally the president of U3A said he wanted U3A to get out into the community and we as the Uniting Church wanted to unite with as many people as we possibly could, so this was a great opportunity to do that,” Ms Killick said.