Whuppity Scoorie Day

They gather before 6 pm, assembling at St Nicholas church, then as the wee bell rings the hour, they walk (run?) round the church three times anti-clockwise (widdershins) swinging balls, made of paper and tied with a piece of string, around their heads. At the end the children scramble for coins thrown by members of the Royal Burgh of Lanark Community Council, which now organises the event.

Its origins are vague. A connection may well be that old style wooden spinning tops (a child's toy) were set in motion with a length of string; wind the string around the top - hold one end of the string - 'throw' the top. Whipping (whuppin' ?) the top into motion

Some say it is a remembrance of days when miscreants were whipped round the cross then "scoored" in the Clyde, and it is also supposed to reflect curfew changes as spring replaced the dark winter nights.

The six o' clock start would also appear to be connected, in some way, to a previous "bell ceremony" where the bell was rung at this time to let the apprentices know it was time to end work for the day.

Going on the date of 1st March there may be a pagan connection, possibly connected to the end of Winter / start of Spring and intended to either drive away the 'dark devils' of winter or greet the new planting season . The fact that those taking part walk 'widdershins' would reinforce the pagan theory as Scottish witches were said to stir their cooking pots in this direction.

Whatever its origins, generations of children have taken part and made sure that this part of Lanark's past endured.

Web Source - http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/LKS/Lanark/