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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCOUTIALLAN, n. Also -aulan, in, scoutieallin, scoutyaulin, scutiallan, scoo(t)tie allan, -en, skootie allen. The Arctic skua, Stercorarius parasiticus (Ork. a.1795 G. Low Fauna Orcad. (1813) 118; I.Sc. 1866 Edm. Gl.; Sh. 1951 Sh. Folk-Bk. II. 32, I.Sc. 1969). [′skuti′ɑlən]Sh. 1701 J. Brand Descr. Zetland 119:
A Fowl there called Scutiallan, of a black colour, and as big as a Wild Duck, which doth live upon the Vomit and Excrements of other Fowls.Ork. 1806 P. Neill Tour 201:
Scoutiallan, or Scoutiaulan. . . . They pursue and harass all the small gulls, till these last disgorge or vomit; they then dexterously catch what is dropped, ere it reach the water. The common names are derived from the vulgar opinion that the small gulls are muting, when they are only disgorging fish newly caught.Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Shet. 421:
The Scouti aulin, or parasitic gull, hears the well known note of success and forces the captor to drop his prey, which he intercepts in its fall.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 319:
Hid's aneuch tae scunner a scootie allan.Sh. 1913 Old-Lore Misc. VI. iii. 137:
The que or Q or skootieällen, as the bird is called by the islanders, is one of the species which we must now with sadness assign to the list of past residents in Fair Isle.