Are you ready to put on your dancing shoes and travel back in time to the swinging sixties? If so, let's take a trip down memory lane and learn about the iconic Scottish TV show, "The White Heather Club".
During the height of Edinburgh's Fringe Festival 2022, Scottish Food Marketplace Bonnie & Wild set out to bring fantastic free Ceilidh's to the Capital. Too good to be a standalone event, the last Thursday of every month was marked in the calendar as Ceilidh Club night. But what to call such a club? Well, inspiration wasn't hard to come by with an iconic Scottish TV Show dedicated to Scottish Country Dancing in the BBC archives.
The White Heather Club was first broadcast in 1958 and quickly became a hit with viewers across the UK. It was a variety show that featured music, dance, and comedy acts, all set against the backdrop of a Scottish-themed club.
In Scotland, Heather competes with the Thistle to be the most iconic Scottish plant and this perennial evergreen shrub covers many a Highland landscape, turning the hills purple in late summer. Sometimes you can find a sprig of the more elusive white heather in amongst the purple flowers, and this white heather is often seen as the Highland equivalent of the four-leafed clover with legendary tales behind the lucky white variety.
In 1957, Iain MacFadyen, producer of Scottish musician and actor Andy Stewart's radio show 17 Sauchie Street, attended a BBC television course in London designed to help radio producers branch out into TV production. On his return MacFadyen produced a televised Ceilidh, hosted by " The Voice of Scotland', Robert Wilson, for the BBC's New Year Party 1957 into 1958. On the success of this one-off show he then had the idea of developing the format into a new weekly show which could help fill the 6–7pm slot in the schedule where previously the BBC had closed down.
After hours of rehearsal, a recording of the first show was made in the first week of May 1958. However, after the recording was completed, technicians realised that the show had been recorded on faulty film stock and was not of broadcast quality. It was quickly decided the show would have to be broadcast live, but as the host Robert Wilson was performing in Dublin and therefore unavailable, Andy Stewart was asked if he could act as host. He gladly agreed, wrote his own script, sang some songs and presented the opening programme which was enthusiastically received by the press. The Glasgow Evening Times said:
The first edition of "White Heather Club" was bright and tuneful, and Andy Stewart became guest host in place of Robert Wilson. This is a show which could surely be put over on the national network instead of being confined to Scotland.
Pleased with the result, the BBC promised Stewart that if ever Robert Wilson gave up the job as host, the position was his. On Tuesday 6 January 1959, Wilson hosted his last edition of the show, taking the decision to leave because of stage commitments. Andy Stewart then took over and made the show his own.
For the first show Andy wore pants. The next time he hired a kilt & soon he was having them specially made to order. Andy Stewart's plaid-clad image became etched in the public's imagination and a life-long relationship with the kilt began.
Stewart wanted to showcase the best of Scottish culture and entertainment, and he certainly succeeded. It dominated the BBC’s New Year’s Eve television for many years with one Hogmanay edition achieving viewing figures of over ten million!
Born in Glasgow in 1933, Stewart grew up in a musical family and began performing at a young age. He learned to play the accordion and the piano, and he also had a talent for singing and storytelling. In May 1960 Stewart performed on the show a new song he had written: A Scottish Soldier. The BBC was inundated with letters from viewers asking for the it to be performed again the following week. This was the big breakthrough for Stewart and the overwhelming success of that one song transformed him into an international star.
One of the most memorable aspects of the show was the lively music and dancing. The resident band was led by Scottish accordionist Jimmy Shand, and the dancing was performed by a troupe of professional dancers including Dixie Ingram, the show's principal male solo dancer and dance director. The dancers were known for their energetic and entertaining performances, and they quickly became fan favourites. The show also featured a variety of guest stars, including popular singers and comedians of the day.
Despite its popularity, "The White Heather Club" came to an end in 1967 after nine years on the air. However, its legacy lived on, and it remains an iconic part of British television history.
Many of the show's stars went on to have successful careers in the entertainment industry. Jimmy Shand, for example, continued to perform and record music until his death in 2000, and the White Heather Dancers went on to perform all over the world.
In addition to his work on "The White Heather Club", Andy Stewart had a successful acting career & continued to perform as a musician and recorded several albums of Scottish music. Stewart was awarded an MBE in 1976 and in 1987 he received the Freedom of Angus.
Stewart retired from show business in the 1980s but remained involved in Scottish culture and entertainment throughout his life. He passed away in 1993, but his legacy lives on through his music, his television work, and his contributions to Scottish culture.
Perhaps the most iconic of his song's is "Donald Where's Your Troosers?" which according to The Independent's obituary of his life, noted that Stewart is said to have written that number in 10 minutes as he sat, minus troosers, in the lavatory of a recording studio! My favourite verse might have to be the one performed in the style of Elvis Presley which only adds to the hilarity of this legendary Scottish novelty song.
When BBC DJ Simon Mayo played the song on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show in November 1989 and then responded to listener's requests for replays, "We were in the mood for novelty nonsense, so we kept playing it" a deal was quickly struck to re-release the song as a Christmas single. Mayo continued to give it a lot of airplay and the song ended up at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart by Christmas!
It was a great surprise to me. I was sittin' in the hoose one night and the phone rang. It was another record company, and he said "...they tell me you're aiming for number one at Christmas this year..." - I said: "You're Joking?" and I quickly whipped out my diary to make sure it wisnae the 1st of April! It all just happened very suddenly, and very strangely. It's one of these things that happen in showbusiness — Andy Stewart
Today, "The White Heather Club" is fondly remembered by those who grew up watching the show, although it was sometimes criticised for portraying a cringeworthy & outdated version of shortbread-tin Scotland. Regardless it undeniably helped promote & preserve Scottish music, dance and culture.
When BBC Scotland's headquarters at Pacific Quay, Glasgow were opened in 2007, various meeting rooms were named after famous BBC Scotland programmes, and Room 2023 on the second floor bears the name "White Heather Club".
So, whether you're a fan of Scottish culture, lively music and dancing, or just good old-fashioned entertainment, I'm sure you'll agree that Bonnie & Wild's idea to put a modern spin on the iconic "The White Heather Club" is something we should all get on board with.
The renowned musician Charlie Kirkpatrick and his band perform each month with Charlie taking dancers through the moves of traditional dances, from the Highland Schottische to the Military Two-Step and other ceilidh favourites. Charlie, a regular presence on the BBC Radio Scotland show Take the Floor, confirms:
“These dances are for anyone and everyone. Even if you don’t know the dances we’ll call the steps and make sure everyone enjoys themselves and has a good night!”
“Although critics mocked its kitsch tartanry, the White Heather Club was an iconic BBC show of the 1960s that broadcast ceilidh music and dancing into people’s living rooms and made household names of the likes of Jimmy Shand and Andy Stewart. Our own ambitions aren’t quite so lofty! We just want to see folk coming to Bonnie & Wild and having a great time.” - Charlie Kirkpatrick
ScotlandShop are delighted to have now joined the club! Speaking of our new partnership Ryan Barrie, Managing Director of Bonnie & Wild said:
Our ceilidh nights have been a phenomenal success since we revived them last year, with thousands of folk coming along to Bonnie & Wild and enjoying these evenings of music, dance and good cheer.
“And we know there’s potential to do more. We’ve big plans and high hopes for our White Heather Club. Teaming up with ScotlandShop, we’ll be offering new rounds of prizes to participants, and honouring some of the bonnie dancers who come to our White Heather Club, while also unveiling a few surprises on the way.
With ScotlandShop’s partnership, we’ll see a lot more tartan on the night, made in Scotland of course. The White Heather Club is a celebration of Scottish culture, something that all of us at Bonnie & Wild are passionate about, whether it’s the food and drink we offer, the chefs and business we work with, and our love of the land through our sponsorship of the Scottish Landscape Photographer Awards.”
Bonnie & Wild’s White Heather Club has already proved to be a hugely popular night in Edinburgh’s events calendar, with thousands of Scots and city visitors having taken part in the regular ceilidhs, held on the last Thursday of every month.
Keep an eye out for the Bonnie & Wild team donning ScotlandShop Kilts & Mini Kilts in the beautiful Scotland Forever tartan. But, that's not all new co-branded club T-shirts sported by both ScotlandShop and Bonnie & Wild staff will be available to purchase alongside your Ceilidh tickets if you'd like to grab one too.
“Like Bonnie & Wild, we are passionate about celebrating Scottish culture, including of course the many tailored tartan garments and fabulous fabrics woven here in Scotland. But we also embrace Scotland's wider culture, its food, drink, music and of course our country dancing. We know these are very important to our customers who I’m sure will be excited by the White Heather Club and our involvement in it.” - Anna White, Founder of ScotlandShop
As Ryan said there are new prizes & surprises to come on the night so don't miss out!
Well there we are, from its origins in the swinging sixties, The White Heather Club lives on with new tartan filled passion. If you are looking for a great (& free) night in Edinburgh then join the club at Bonnie & Wild Scottish Market place on the St James Quarter 4th Floor on the last Thursday of the Month for a chance to break out your dancing shoes and get your Ceilidh on!
