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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡EASTLE, adv., adj., n. Also easel, eassil, eastilt, eissel, easle (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 193), eassel (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.²). [is(t)l, eisl, ′isəlt]

1. adv. Towards the east, eastwards (Lth. 1808 Jam., eastilt).Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. i.:
Ow, man! ye should hae hadden easel to Kippletringan.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 120:
It lies eassel o' Kelsae.

Hence used ellipt. with prep. force = to the east of (Rxb. 1825 Jam.²). Cf. similar use of East, adv.Peb. 1793 Carlop Green (ed. R. D. C. Brown 1832) i. 2:
Eastle the rocks, a canty Inn Gives lodging, beer, and bread.Rxb. 1912 Scotsman (31 Jan.):
I've just been easel the toon, and I am fair forfoughten.

2. adj. Easterly (Rxb. 1825 Jam.², eassil).Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck I. 12:
He cam yont to stop the ewes aff the hogg-fence, the wind being eissel.

3. Combs.: (1) eassil-gate, at the east end of a street; (2) easel-ward, towards the east; (3) eassla-wassla, east and west (see 4. (2)).(1) Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. (1892) Note III on chap. xxvi.:
Dandie Eassil-gate, Dandie Wassil-gate . . . had their names from living eastward and westward in the street of the village.(2) Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary vii.:
Now, weize yoursel a wee easel-ward — a wee mair yet to that ither stane.(3) Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 16:
An another ribbon — verder-cled, rinnin eassla-wassla — telld the coorse o bonnie Teviot.

4. n. (1) The east; (2) the eastern district of Hawick (Rxb.⁵ 1942, obs.). Also used attrib.(1) Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck I. 140:
I turned my neb the tither gate, an' I fand the air was gane to the eissel.(2) s.Sc. 1879 Murray D.S.C.S. 167:
We have also East-le and Wast-le, lying to the East and West respectively. The town of Hawick is divided by the northward-running Slitrig into two parts, known as Eastle-the-waitter and Wastle-the-waitter, commonly contracted into Eis'la-waitter and Was'la-waitter, or simply Eis'la and Was'la.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 120:
The eassla-waiter ba' players.