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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scout, Scowt(e, Scaut, n.¹ Also: scoute, scoutt, scowtt, skout(e, skoutt, skowt(t, scuyt, scutt(e, scoite, schout. [ME and e.m.E. scut (1419), scute (1550), skeut (1617), also schout (14th c.), shute (1464), MDu. schote a flat-bottomed river boat. Cf. ON skuta, Gael. sgoth.] A small boat, originally flat-bottomed, used chiefly in inland or coastal waters; a yawl.Sometimes, a supply boat to a larger vessel.(a) c1420 Wynt. iv 977.
That kyng … Away than lurkyd prewaly, In till a litill fysch scowte [c. skout, W. fischare skovt] 1436 Exch. R. IV 679.
Pro naulo barce vocate scowte, le scouting, et adduccione dictorum ingeniorum ad barcham 1457 Ib. VI 309. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 382.
To ane scowt that baid apone the king, and landit his folk and hed thaim on burd ix s 1498 Ib. 391.
To ane skowt of Dunbertane to wait on the kingis schip 1512 Ib. IV 303.
To ane skowt to have it [sc. pitch, etc.] one burd 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX 63.
Ane scoute with hir haill … geir … the stoking of the said scout estimat to lxvj li. xiij s. iiij d. 1587-99 Hume 32/210.
To … see Endlang a riuer … The salmon out of cruifs and creils Up hailed into skowts 1602 Conv. Burghs II 142.
Gif ane skipper cumis vpoun ground with his schip, giff he can cum be ony skowtis or lichter to lois afe the guidis in the schip and bring the schip afe the ground agane, than [etc.] 1610 Misc. Maitl. C. III 12.
Awnaris of the boittis and scouttis upoun the saidis loichis 1612 Conv. Burghs II 366.
The rayne quhairinto thair guids ar exposit in oppin skowtts, as lykewayes of the tvmbling of the said skowts 1613 Ib. 398 (see Scoutman n.)
Skoute 1614 Bk. Islay 185.
Bodin in feir of wair … with thair lumfaddis, boitis, gaylayis, scoutis and birlingis 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 35.
For a skout to row to Paislay to bring … warklumes and bedding 1628 Mure Doomesday 50.
Scout, following sin with stretched sayle c1630 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 151.
The boatt or scoutt doeth goe up verie high and otherwhiles doun verie low Ib. 165.
Scowtt; 1637 Monro Exped. i 45.
We were all shipped in open skouts or boats 1658 Brechin Test. VI 152b.
The tuelth part of the skoutt callit the Sussana 1658 Rothesay B. Rec. 275.
[They] also are obliedgit to send ane skoutt and tuo men to the heid of Lochgillipsyde 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXII 251b.
Ane quarter pairt of James Follie his scout or litle shipe 1690 Melville Chart. 213.
To delyver … all the boats or birlines, with their furnitur, … above ane scoutt or four oared boat 1692 Misc. B. Rec. 87.
John Scots scout, the Margret 1694 Kingarth Par. Rec. 175.
[His] breach of the Sabbath in carying turf … in a skout to Rothesay 1718 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 19.
Dews … at Portglasgow … a scout or yole pay one shilling(b) 1685 Caldwell P. 159.
When we came to the end of Delpht, the Hagues scuyt was gone(c) c1630 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 177.
And none can goe with scutts or boatts to those sowthwest illands but in … summer 1696 Caldwell P. 172.
Fra Rotterdam I went to the Hague in a scutte(d) 1614 Thanes of Cawdor 233.
To tak ordoure that no boitis gallayis umfaddis [? for limfaddis] scautis nor birlingis go oute of Yla(e) 1685 Marchmont P. 35.
A large scoite came rowing round us, viewing with prospects Ib.
And many of our goods, in scoites yet to be putt aboard(f) 1499 Halyb. 161.
Paid for xij dayis that the schout lay in Zelland or he coutht be lossitattrib. and comb. 1490 Prestwick B. Rec. 33.
That wrangwisly he … held fra him certane gudis anentis his scowt scare in fische & siluir 1496–7 Halyb. 15.
For crangylt, toyll in the Dam and schout hyr to the Feir 1499–1500 Ib. 226.
For scout hyr to Myddilburgh 1504 Ib. 272.
Exsis, toill and schout hir and othir costis 1546 Treas. Acc. IX 36.
To ane scout boit that yeid furth of Paslay 1612 Conv. Burghs II 366.
The said toun of Campheir … sall be bund … to mak the skowt flott portabill to that effect 1613 Ib. 394.
Skowtt flott Ib. 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 36.
For a skout boitt to row up Robert Welsche to the quarrell in Inschinnen