Billy Forsyth - A Profile

Twice winner of the World Highland Dancing Championship, Billy has extensive experience as performer, manager and director of stage, arena, television and cabaret shows in Scotland and around the world.

He has adjudicated at Dance Championships on every continent, toured and performed throughout Canada and the United States, demonstrated and lectured in such diverse locations as Tokyo, Japan, Quito in Ecuador and Karachi, Pakistan, and performed regularly in cabaret at venues such as Gleneagles Hotel and Dunblane Hydro Hotel, both near his base in Bridge of Allan, Scotland.

A previous Chairman and President of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD), until 2013, for 25 years he was Dance Advisor and Director for the world famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, presenting his Edinburgh Tattoo Highland Ceilidh Dancers team to 60,000 spectators in the Amsterdam Arena, at the most famous theatre in the world the London Palladium, and at the Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Canada as well as at major events in the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

After almost 25 years as Chairman of the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing, the World Governing Body, Billy was elected President of SOBHD, which co-ordinates a network of over 60 independent associations and organisations around the world, representing over 50,000 Scottish Highland dancers.  Since demitting office he was elected as an Honorary Member of SOBHD.

He was a founder member and director of the Scottish Traditions of Dance Trust, the only organisation charged with the remit to research, collect, conserve, foster and promote all of Scotland’s Heritage of Music and Dance. Billy markets his own design of Highland and Scottish Country dance shoes, selling to retailers, instructors and dancers all over the world.

He retired after twenty six years service, the last six years as Chief Executive, with Scottish Youth Hostels, an organisation which registered over 500,000 overnights per annum, and is the largest network of holiday accommodation in Scotland specially provided for young people. SYHA is part of the Hostelling International network.