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.
BARTLE FAIR, BARTHOL FAIR, n. A fair held on St Bartholomew's Day at Kincardine O'Neil, Aberdeenshire, to which people came from great distances. It lasted for three days, during which cattle, horses and sheep were sold; also, cloth, shoes, farming implements, domestic utensils, etc. This fair gradually decreased in importance until 1912, the last year in which it was held.Abd. 1725 W. Robertson in Spalding Club, quoted by R. Dinnie Hist. of Kincardine O'Neil (1885) 42:
There are three yearly fairs in the said town: the first . . . called May Fair; the second . . . called Play Saturday; and the third, on the last Tuesday of August, called Barthol Fair, which stands three days.Abd.2 1933:
Bartle fair, a market that used to be held annually on Bartle Muir near the village of Kincardine O'Neil. Here is an interesting local rhyme from the mouth of a native of Kincardine O'Neil parish: “We winna win to Bartle fair unless we hae an erran' But we'll win a' to Michael fair fan we get deen the shearin'.”
