Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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HEERE, n. Also hier, hear, heir, heer, here; hair (Sc. 1748 Caled. Mercury (25 Feb.) A spinning term denoting a length of 600 yards of linen yarn, the sixth part of a hank (Sc. 1808 Jam., heer, hier). Gen. in spinning areas. Also used attrib. [hi:r]Kcd. 1700 J. Anderson Black Book (1843) 125:
She did sell ten or twelve hears tweedlin yarn.Abd. 1749 Abd. Estate (S.C.) 137:
She is to spin 18 heirs of dry yearn each day and instruct 2 or 3 schollars besides.Rnf. 1766 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876) 252:
The crime of theft, or of reset, of a number of bobbins and some spindles and “heers” of thread belonging to several manufacturers.Sc. 1799 Prize Essays Highl. Soc. 75:
The yarn most suitable for the Linen manufacture of Scotland, and what will find the readiest market, is from 8 hiers, or 16 cuts of yarn, out of the pound of Flax, to 18 hiers, or 36 cuts.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxxx.:
Ye might as soon hae tried to mak a dinner o' a hesp o' seven heere yarn, for it was as teugh as the grannie of the cock that craw't to Peter.Ags. 1893 Brechin Advertiser (31 Oct.) 3:
Sax threads were ca'd a cut, twa cut was a here, an' sax here was a hasp.

Hence †heirin-band, herrin- (Ags. 1808 Jam.), a string dividing cuts or heeres of yarn into separate bundles (Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. X. 189).Abd. 1902 E.D.D.:
See that ye tak' the richt en' o' yer yarn after brakin' the herrin-band, an' nae mak' a snorl.