Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FREEDOM, n. Sc. usages:

1. Permission (Sh., Ags., m.Lth., Uls. 1953).Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 196:
I your freedom beg to send You a bit sang.

†2. Readiness, willingness, inclination. Cf. Free, I. 3.s.Sc. a.1800 Scott O. Mortality (1829) Intro.:
He was in bad humour, and had, according to his phrase, no freedom for conversation with us.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxiii.:
I seldom like to leave the Gorbals; I have nae freedom to gang amang your wild hills.

3. A piece of common land allotted by certain communities to their members. Now only hist., esp. in regard to Newton-on-Ayr.Ayr. 1752 in D. Murray Early Burgh Organization (1932) II. 221:
In 1752 a part of the property which had previously been possessed in common by the freemen-burgesses was, by act of the community of date 17th Feb. of that year, appointed to “be equally divided amongst the 48 freemen entitled to daills, and that each of them have a share thereto . . . to continue to be divided by lot, with the other freedoms.”Lnk. 1793 R. Heron Journey II. 45:
The village of Crawford . . . is occupied by feuars. . . . They have used to hold what has been called a freedom, consisting of four or five acres of croft land for each family; with the privilege of feeding each a certain number of sheep, cows and horses on the hill, or common pasture. They were governed by a birley court in which every proprietor of a freedom had a vote.Sc. 1805 R. Forsyth Beauties Scot. II. 473:
Each of these freemen possesses what is called a lot or freedom, containing about four acres of arable land.