Eilean,  the Director of the Shelby group,  is a native of Hawick  in the Scottish Border country.  She learned Scottish Country Dancing in her early schooldays.  

As Eilean Graham, she graduated with a B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from Edinburgh University and then joined   ICI Fibres in  their  Research group at  Harrogate, Yorkshire.

She moved to Shelby, NC in 1976 with daughters Julie and Susan when her husband, Mike, transferred from ICI in England to the then Fiber Industries.

In 1984, Eilean  co-founded  the Shelby Scottish Country Dancers and has taught and led the group for the past  twenty-four years.
 

Eilean received her Preliminary RSCDS Teaching certificate  in 1989  with the Northern Virginia Branch.
Two years later, she earned her full RSDCS Teaching accreditation at the RSCDS Summer School at St. Andrews.
 

In 1994, Eilean was appointed  Director of Scottish Country Dancing for the Loch Norman Highland Games held each April near Charlotte, North Carolina.   Under her guidance, the Friday and Saturday  Loch Norman dances have progressively  increased in popularity.   
 

Since retirement from Girl Scouts, Eilean has taught workshops in New Orleans , Atlanta,  Florida and  at the week long Thistle School in the NC mountains.