Waulking the Tweed is a traditional way of finishing the cloth before it can be made into clothing. It is steeped with folklore and history and was, in Scotland’s Gaelic communities, an activity exclusively performed by women. Songs that are centuries old have also survived in waulking songs (known as òrain-luaidh) and, despite the Victorian-era romanticised image, these gatherings often ended up as a raucous event with songs which would address themes such as younger women’s courtships, matters