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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†KELLACH, n. Also kelloch, keallach, keelack, kyallach. [′kɛləx, ′kjɑləx, ′kilək]

1. A large conical wicker basket or pannier gen. with a lid at the lower end, for carrying dung to the fields (Ags. 1808, n.Sc. 1880 Jam.), or corn on horse-back (e.Rs. 1916). This basket was often set in a wooden frame on two wheels called a kellachie or kyallachie cart (Rs. 1713 W. MacGill Old Ross-shire (1909) 132), occas. also kellach(y) alone. Also attrib.Rs. 1795 J. Sinclair Agric. N. Highl. 100:
Their carts consist of a small frame, with shafts set upon tumbler wheels two feet high, on which they place a basket called a kellach.Rs. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ I. 277, XIV. 90:
It is also very common to place a coarse strong basket, formed like a sugar loaf, across these small carts, in which the manure is carried from the dung-hill to the field. These kinds of carts are called kellachys. . . . Kellachye carts, with wicker-baskets of a conical form.Bnff. 1825 Jam.:
The proverbial phrase, “The witch is in the keelack,” used when the superiority of the produce, on any spot of ground, is attributed to the dung which is carried out in the keelack or pannier; i.e., “the charm lies in the manure.”Mry. 1839 W. Rhind Sketches Mry. 13:
Kelloch . . . the latter was a similar frame mounted on wheels, which were often composed of two semicircles of solid board, joined in the middle, and fixed into an axle which revolved in two hoops of wood attached to the bottom of the frame. Upon this mounted framework was fixed a conical wicker basket, capable of holding about a third of a modern cart load.Bnff. 1853 Banffshire Jnl. (21 June):
Our gutchers were but smerghless sneels, To hoddle on wi' kellach creels.Mry. 1887 A. G. Wilken Peter Laing 26:
Dung was carriet to the fields in kellachs. They were weiven like baskets, nairrow at the boddom an' wide at the tap. They were carriet atween twa clog wheels, an' faith they heeld a gweed lot o' muck.

2. “Anything built high and narrow”, from the shape of the basket (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 94).Ib.:
He's biggit the ruck a mere kellach.