Spootiskerry

Shetland Reel in G, by Ian Burns (1932-1995)

Spootiskerry - TrailJams Tune of the Week - Play it together October 5, 2025 (Image of the coast of rural Shetland. A girl sits playing tin whistle on a rock exposed by low tide. A small family farm, with grazing sheep, is visible above the rocky shoreline.) Illustration copyright 2025 Jonathan Lay. trailjams.org

When Shetland fiddler Ian Burns composed this tune, he named it Spootiskerry after a small coastal farm (a croft) in his family. A “spoot” is a razor clam – these clams “spoot” (spout a stream of water) when they are disturbed. A skerry is a rock formation that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide. So the name “Spootiskerry” is a combination of the words “spoot” and “skerry.” Spootiskerry was located near the village of Brae, on the island of Mainland in Shetland, Scotland. Ian (Samuel Ian Rothmar Burns) composed the tune around 1960, and published it in 1980.

Recordings

Sheet Music

As always for traditional tunes, the musical notation and chords do not indicate the “right” way to play the tune, but are a useful reference.

Sheet music with chords for Spootiskerry, Shetland reel in G major by Ian Burns.. Arrangement by Jonathan Lay. trailjams.org

Play-along Tracks

Very slow tempo 45bpm
Slow tempo 65bpm
Moderate tempo 85bpm
TrailJams Tune Camp (image: sketch of fiddle)

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Sets

Examples of sets that include this tune.

References and Resources

For those who want to dig deeper, here are some other resources.