Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

OPGESTRIE, n. Also opgestery, uppgestrie, -y (Jak.). The custom by which, in the Sh. and Ork. system of Udal tenure, a holder of land could, with the consent of his heirs if they were unable to maintain him, transfer his property to another in return for lifelong support (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928)). Deriv. opgester, upp-, one who does this (Ib.); one who stays for a long time as a guest at another person's house (Jak.). Hist. Appiegest (see Suppl.) is another form of this word. [′ɔpgɛstre]Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Sh. (1891) 128:
There was a law in Shetland empowering the possessors of udal lands, with the consent of their heirs, to dispose of their patrimony to any person who would undertake their support for life. Such disposers were then received into the house of their maintainer under the name of his opgesters; whence the law by which estates could be alienated from the udal-born for such a purpose, was named the custom of opgestery.