Tour Scotland Video Cloudy Drive B961 Road To Monikie Angus

Tour Scotland video of a cloudy drive on the B961 cross country road through Newbigging on ancestry visit to Monikie in Angus, Scotland. The Scottish violinist and fiddler James Scott Skinner lived in Monikie from 1906 to 1909. Skinner was born on 5 August 1843, the youngest of six children in Arbeadie village which later became part of Banchory, near Aberdeen. His father William Skinner was a dancing master on Deeside. His mother Mary Skinner, née Agnew, was originally from Strathdon. James was only eighteen months old when his father died. When he was seven, his elder brother, Alexander Forbes Skinner, gave him lessons in violin and cello. Soon the pair of them were playing at local dances. In 1852 his mother remarried and he moved to Aberdeen where he lived with his sister Annie, attending Connell's School in Princes Street, Aberdeen. In 1862 he won a sword dance competition in Ireland. The following year he won a strathspey and reel competition in Inverness. Gradually he broadened his district of clients until Queen Victoria learned of his reputation. She requested him to teach callisthenics and dancing to the royal household at Balmoral Castle. In 1893 he toured the United States with Willie MacLennan, the celebrated bagpiper and dancer.. After returning to Scotland he virtually gave up dancing and concentrated on the fiddle. He died on 17 March 1927 without giving another public performance. His body was buried in Aberdeen, where his marble memorial gravestone was unveiled by Sir Harry Lauder. Over 600 of his compositions were published, among the best known being The Bonnie Lass of Bon Accord, Cradle Song, Bovaglie's Plaid, The Music o' Spey, and Hector the Hero. He made over 80 recordings.

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