Dancing Queen: Elizabeth II was the reel deal as a lover of Scottish country dance

The Queen’s enthusiasm for all things Scottish stretched from the wilds of Balmoral to the dancefloor.

She enjoyed attending the annual Ghillies’ Ball at Balmoral which was held for neighbours, estate and castle staff, and members of the Deeside community.

A video clip from 1990 shows her gleefully dancing the Eightsome Reel at the ball with her husband, Prince Philip, and other family members.

A patron of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) since she was a princess in 1947, she attended many functions over the years and had a number of dances composed in her honour. Amy Drysdale, who performed at a private audience in July 2013, has fond memories of the day.

A special book of routines had been put together to mark the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee, with a selection demonstrated for the watching monarch.

Drysdale said: “She was only sitting a few feet away from us because it was such a small room. I felt very nervous because she’s a very good Scottish country dancer herself.

“When she was sitting with the book of instructions in her hand, watching us as we danced, it was a little bit nerve-wracking!

“It was just an absolute privilege to have her as a patron, somebody who has such a love for Scottish culture and tradition, enjoying both watching the dances and hearing the music but also dancing herself.”

© Supplied by Royal Scottish Count

The 36-year-old, from Dunfermline, added: “She really put you at ease when you spoke to her and made you relax a bit while talking with her. She was so personable and so lovely. You didn’t feel like you were talking to the Queen.

“She asked us how long we’d been dancing for and how much we enjoyed the dances.

“She picked out a dance in particular, The Castle Of Mey, which was named after the Queen Mother’s residence, and she was very keen to see that danced in the future, perhaps at the Ghillies’ Ball.

“Looking back at the photos, it’s amazing to see how many smiles there are. People don’t look nervous, there’s laughing, the Queen’s smiling, everybody looks so much like they’re enjoying themselves. There’s a few jokes being made as well!”

The RSCDS paid tribute to their patron following her death on Thursday, remembering with “affection and gratitude” the service she’d given.

Drysdale said: “It was very sad to hear of her death. We just haven’t known anyone else really as sovereign so it’s very sad for the loss of what that means for the country, that stability that we’ve had for so long.

“There’s a lot of other unknowns and the Queen was a stable influence throughout all of that so I think we’re definitely going to miss that.”