The Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing (SOBHD) was formed in 1950 through a wish by the major Highland Dance Examining Bodies, plus other teachers and leading dancers in the UK at that time, to have a supervisory board, comprising delegates from the many different organisations involved in Highland Dance, which could lay down quality standards for all areas of Highland Dancing. SOBHD is not a single Association but a representative body for all dancing organisations and associations ranging from the largest Professional Dance Teachers Associations who conduct Medal Tests and Teachers Exams to the many small local Highland Games organisations. It was also hoped to try and resolve the many arguments and complaints made by Highland Games competition organisations about the biased or simply bad judging which was prevalent at the time.

Over the last 52 years SOBHD has gained in stature and status through its acceptance by the vast majority of highland dance associations, competitions, dancers, teachers and adjudicators around the world as the leading, indeed the only truly international representative body. It is the organisation which the majority of people turn to in the Highland Dance world for advice and information, represents the vast majority of those involved in Highland Dancing around the world, and is accepted by them as the World Governing Body.

The main function of the SOBHD is to bring about co-operation between recognised associations, organisations, individuals and dancers connected with Highland Dancing.

Its textbook, Highland Dancing (ISBN 1 8981 6901 2) contains Basic Positions, Basic Movements and Basic Steps, followed by descriptions of the following dances: The Highland Fling, the Sword Dance (Gillie Chalium), Seann Truibhas, Strathspey, Highland Reel, Basic Reel Steps and Reel of Tulloch or Hullachan. It is published by Lindsay Publications, P O Box 812, Glasgow G14 9NP, Scotland.