Scottish bands often have either a piano or an accordion that is played with a prominent bass, so even without a drum they have a very solid rhythm behind them. Also, RSCD dances (for instance) don't vary much in tempo - both jigs and reels are played at - I think - about 112 beats per minute. I expect some Scottish bands get so used to these speeds that they can produce them almost without thinking about them.

English ceilidh is much more varied, not just in the dances and the tunes but also in the ages and styles of the dancers. Even the amount of space available in the hall can make a difference to the optimum speed - more space allows bigger, slightly slower steps in a dance like, for example, Cumberland Square Eight.

So even if someone had worked out a metronome tempo for each dance, there would be no easy way of referring to this when playing for the dance, and in any case it might have to be varied according to the criteria above. I guess there's normally one player who, in communication with the caller, sets the speed and whom the others keep an eye (and ear) on during the tune.

Marje