G.B. ENGLAND. London. The Royal Caledonian Ball started sometime in the 1840s as a private gathering given by the Duke and Duchess of Atholl for their Scottish friends who resided in London. By 1849, still at their invitation, it became a subscription dance for the purposes of collecting funds for Scottish charities,From 1930 the ball has been held at Grovesnor House, this hotel having the largest ballroom in London and capable of dealing with up to a thousand Scots who descend on the capital to reel the night away. 1967