Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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TREVALLIE, n. Also trevallyie, trevaillie, trevellye (Uls. 1953 Traynor), trevollie, travalie, travall(e)y (Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (11 Dec.) 13, (14 Dec.) 9), travellye, treevolie. [trə′vɑl(j)ɪ, -′vel(j)ɪ]

1. As in obs. Eng., a reveille, wakening signal beaten on a drum.Slg. 1707 Slg. Burgh Rec. (1889) 112:
To beat the tattow and travalie at 4 aclock in the morning for the Sumer seasone.

2. Anything unusually noisy, a startling din: (1) the sound of a noisy fall or crash, a prolonged clatter (Cai. 1930; Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (11 Dec.) 13). Also in n.Eng. dial.Ork. 1904 Dennison Sketches 20:
The thunder geed, as gin the heel' lift had been rumblan' doon wi' a travellye.

(2) a disturbance, brawl, fracas, outburst (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. XI. 332, trevollie); a noisy scolding (Ayr. 1825 Jam., treevolie; Uls. 1953 Traynor).Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xi.:
Gin ye could airt me to ane o' them, we wad let you see a fine trevallie.Ork. 1911 Old-Lore Misc. IV. iv. 184:
Jock o' Howally wis wint tae geong a' roond da coontra whin da notian for haein' a travellya cam ower him.

3. A train or retinue of attendants, gen. used contemptuously, a swarm, rabble (Cld. 1808 Jam.); a great number of people or things (Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (14 Dec.) 9), poss. from the notion of roll-call involved in reveille.Rnf. c.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) T. 157:
When a person comes to visit, with a number of followers, whom we did not want, we speak thus, "Thair sho, or he cums and a great trevollie wi her."