Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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NEEGER, n. Also neegger (Sc. 1827 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 303), neegar (Cai. 1951 Edb. John o' Groat Lit. Soc.), neegur (Slk. 1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 708; Edb. 1869 J. Smith Poems 110), neger, ne(e)gre (Sc. 1818 Sawers), neigre (Sc. 1808 Jam.), niegre (Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 72), neggir (Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 593). [′nigər]

1. A negro, gen. with contemptuous force as Eng. nigger (Sh., Cai., Mry., Fif., Lth., Ayr., Kcb., Uls. 1963).

Combs.: ¶(1) niggerhead, a white cowrie shell with a black tip; (2) nigger's gobs, the treacly lumps found in coarse brown sugar (Fif.¹ c.1900); (3) neeger-wheeper, a slavedriver, a relentless taskmaster, a sweater of labour (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also fig.(1) Sc. 1895 F. A. Steel Red Rowans x.:
“Do you ever find niggerheads about here now?” . . . He took the tiny cowrie of dazzling whiteness she handed him by way of answer.(3) Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 9:
Aa yow yins that's ooreet an oold wui this neeger-wheeper ov a woarlt.

2. A hard unremitting worker, a toiler.Gall. 1899 Crockett Kit Kennedy xxxiv.:
Jock is a fair neeger at baith languages.Cai. 1961 “Castlegreen” Tatties an Herreen' 17:
Slavan' lek a neegur till get through afore 'e rain.

3. A hard-natured, exacting person, one of a reckless disposition (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 118; Kcb. 1963); a savage, barbarous fellow, an oaf, a lout.Sc. 1792 G. Galloway Poems 19:
An illiterate kintra niggar Blest wi' a smart external figure.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xviii.:
He had given her a loundering wi' his cane, the neger that he was.