Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
MARROT, n. Also mar(r)at; mor(r)ot (e.Lth. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 218); murrat, murrit. Applied to various members of the Alcidae: the common guillemot, Uria aalge (Arg. 1804 T. Thornton Sporting Tour (1896) 270; e.Lth. 1858 Chambers's Jnl. (14 Aug.) 108; Ags. 1911; Arg. 1931, Abd., Fif. 1962); the razorbill, Alca torda (Hebr. 1806 P. Neill Tour Ork. & Sh. 197, Abd., e.Lth. 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 217; Abd. 1930); the puffin, Fratercula arctica. This last usage is doubtful. [′mɑrət]Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife 96:
Vast numbers of young marrots are catched in the sea.Fif., Lth. 1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scotica I. 39:
Lesser Guillemot. This species, and the black-bill'd auk, . . . appear in the Firth of Forth, in October, in flocks innumerable, pursuing the sprats. Both kinds are called there Morots.Cai. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 VIII. 159:
The swarms of scarfs, marrots, faiks, etc., that come to hatch in the rocks of Dungisbay and Stroma, are prodigious.Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poet. Effusions 74:
And draws the trigger sic a baff, The marrot heard it twal mile aff.wm.Sc. 1889 J. C. Alston West Coast Ballads 2:
“Murrits”, “scairts”, an' “solan geese”, flee whurrin', scoorin' past.Sc. 1907 A. N. Simpson Familiar Sc. Birds 158:
Fishermen call the Puffin by various names, according to the locality. On some parts of the coast it is known as the “Marrot”.Bnff. 1926 Banffshire Jnl. (18 May) 8:
Nae yalla-fittit peulie splashed, Nae scrath or marat stirred.Fif. 1935 Rintoul & Baxter Fauna Forth 310:
It is unfortunate that the old names Marrot and Scout referred to both Razorbills and Guillemots.
