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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YOLE, n. Also yoal(l), yol(l), yooll (Sc. 1700 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 281), youl (Sc. 1737 Old-Lore Misc. X. ii. 46); yaul; dim. forms yol(l)ie (ne.Sc. 1974), yowlie. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. yawl, a kind of boat. [jo:l]

1. A small undecked two-masted fishing-boat, pointed fore and aft and with a jib sail Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 276; Ork. 1929 Marw.; I. and n.Sc. 1974); a sim. one-masted type of boat used in Shetland. Phr. as drunk as a yaul, reeling drunk, like the motion of a yawl (Abd. 1905 E.D.D.).Sh. 1701 J. Brand Descr. Zetland 128:
And so put them to Sea, with their little Boats or Yoals, not able to keep long out against the violent and swelling waves.wm.Sc. 1718 J. D. Marwick River Clyde (B.R.S.) 166:
The yollis of Portglasgow going out in the river to fish pay nothing.Abd. 1733 Session Papers, Fraser v. Buchan (27 Feb.) 5:
One of Inverallochie's Fisher-Yoals.Bte. 1765 Rothesay T.C. Rec. (1935) II. 893:
A Norway yoal having some casks of rum in her.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 66:
Of a' the waters that can hobble A fishin yole or salmon cable.Per. 1811 J. Sim Poems 29:
The fisher lads quick rowe the Yole, An' cleverly the tows they pull.Ork. 1868 D. Gorrie Orkneys 173:
A youl would have served them better today.Bnff. 1872 W. Philip It 'ill a' Come Richt 14:
The herring boats or “yols” of these industrious people.Inv. 1911 in Buchan Observer (10 April 1962) 7:
As soon as the yollie wis afloat in the mornin,.n.Sc. 1930 P. F. Anson Fishing-Boats 25:
A larger and stronger type of fishing boat used on the Moray Firth and Caithness coasts as late as 1850, is to be found in the “North Isles Yole.”Abd. 1949 W. R. Melvin Poems 19:
Wi' yowlies sendin' up their sprays Sae brave an' cannily.Sh. 1969 New Shetlander No. 89. 12:
The boat nowadays called a Ness yoal was once the universal fishing craft of Shetland. . . . A yoal has three thwarts, and rows six oars, each man of her crew pulling a pair. Her mast steps through the midship thwart and her sail is almost a true square-sail, set “flying”.

2. Fig. an expression for a large, ungainly woman.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 45:
She's a big fauconless yoll o' a dehm.