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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

RAID, n., v. Also rade; raed; red; raith, Bch. coast ride, in sense 4. [red] Sc. n. usages:

1. A mounted foray, a predatory expedition on horseback (Sc. 1808 Jam.); a cavalcade of fairies or spirits. See Fairy, n., 13., Hallow, n.², 7. Also fig. Now adopted in St. Eng. in extended sense under the influence of Scott. Comb. ill-rade, fig. an excursion into wickedness.Ayr. 1780 S.H.S. Misc. VI. 291:
Throwing society out of its calm & proper order into nocturnal “raids” and various irregularities.s.Sc. a.1784 Jock o' the Side in Child Ballads No. 187 B. i.:
Now Liddisdale has ridden a raid, But I wat they had better staid at hame.Sc. 1802 Scott Minstrelsy I. 121:
The Laird of Buccleuch retaliated the injury by a raid into England, in which he not only brought off much spoil, but apprehended thirty-six of the Tyndale thieves, all of whom he put to death.Sc. 1805 Scott Last Minstrel v. xxviii.:
In raids he spilt but seldom blood, Unless when men-at-arms withstood.Sc. 1860 W. G. Stewart Lectures on the Mountains I. 28:
By the light of the moon (sometimes called Lochiel's lantern) . . . the great Creich or Raid of the Mearns left a very salutary impression on the minds of the sons of the Avon.Edb. 1870 J. Lauder Warblings 91:
Around the stanes the impies play'd, As I, beside The hummin' tide, Glad watch'd them as they cam' and gaed, A merry, never-tirin' raid.Bwk. 1897 R. M. Calder Poems 281:
When thrawart hearts wad frae the richt On ill-rades gang.

2. Used ironically for an outing, jaunt, excursion, esp. one about which a fuss has been made (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Bwk. 1823 A. Hewit Poems 89:
A better bairn, o' man I rue my rade, That ever I was sic an ideot made.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
Ye made a braw raid to the fair yesterday. Whatten a raid is this ye've ha'en?

3. A roadstead, a place where ships lie at anchor (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis; Ork. 1929 Marw.). Cf. Eng. road, id.Ayr. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ II. 365:
Fairly road or rade, may be properly mentioned in this account. It is a bay that would contain any number of ships.

4. One of a series of deep-sea fishing grounds allocated, each strip to a crew of fishermen (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.; Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.), a particular stretch of ground where fish are known to resort (Ib.); a fishing-ground forming a boundary between nearer and farther fishing grounds (Jak.); a fishing-ground marked out by the coincidence of two Meiths (Sh. 1967).Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Shetland 308:
Not much above a century ago, the fishing for ling and cod was prosecuted much nearer shore than it is now, and fishing places designated Raiths, were pointed out by certain landmarks called Meiths, so that every one knew his own raith, and any undue encroachment upon it was considered no less illegal and actionable, than if it had been upon a landed inclosure.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (21 Oct.):
As recently as 30 years ago, the mid-ground lyings or raeds, each belonged to a certain boat or skipper, and it was considered almost an act of theft — or at least aggression — for another crew to set lines on a man's lying, even although that man was ashore at the time.Bch. 1943 W. S. Forsyth Guff o' Waur 7:
The twa that vrocht the Braidsea Maid, And kent the marks for ilka rade.