Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
AIR, Aer, Aire, Ayre, Er, n.4 A gravelly beach. [e:r, ′eər Sh.; ɛ:r, ɛ:ər Ork.]Sh. 1809 A. Edmonston State of the Zetl. Is. I. 140:
Most of the extensive beaches on the coast are called airs; as Stour-air, Whale-air, Bou-air.Sh. 1886 “G. Temple” Britta 39:
Arrived at the bottom of the hill, we rounded the shores of a gravelly track — an aire, as Britta called it.Sh. 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 17:
The aer where wavelets lap and lave.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Er, a flat sand- or gravel-bank, jutting out into the water; a sandy or gravel-covered stretch of shore.Ork. 1774 G. Low Tour thro' Ork. and Schet. (1879) 11:
A house on the Aire . . . bears the empty name of the Fish-house. (Footnote) Aire is a small neck of land joining a Peninsula to the adjacent main.Ork. 1822 Scott Pirate xix.:
By stack and by skerry, by noup, and by voe, By air and by wick, and by helyer and gio.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
Air, aire, ayre, a gravelly beach; spec. of a spit of gravelly beach separating the outer sea from a lagoon behind. Usually there is an opening at one end of the air through which the sea ebbs and flows.
