Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

PAILISTER, n. The game of quoits or pennystone, q.v., s.v. Penny (w.Sc. 1741 A. McDonald Galick Vocab. 105). Gael.w.Sc. 1953 Scots Mag. (May) 89:
We played “Pailister” down on the beach . . . It wass a game with two marks set up on the beach, and there wass two sides, and we threw pebbles to the marks. To strike it down wass 3 marks, and the closest after that wass 2, and after that wass 1, and when the mark wass struck down the teams would change their sides to throw on until they missed.Arg. 1963 Scots. Mag. (April) 29:
In their spare time they had been keen on a game, pailister, played on the beach. It seemed to have been a form of skittles. played with polished pebbles.