Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SOLAN, n. Also soland, -und, sol(l)en. The gannet, Sula bassana (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Also attrib. in comb. solan-guse, id. (Ib., Sc. 1905 A. Forbes Gaelic Names 334; Ayr. 1929 Paton & Pike Birds Ayr. 146). Gen.Sc. [′solən]Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife (1803) 109:
Anser solanus, the Solan-goose, is of a lesser size than the house goose, and at land appears to be of a dull aspect, some say it cannot flee when it is out of sight of the sea.Sc. 1711 Edb. Evening Post (4–7 Aug.):
There is to be sold in the Poultry Mercat of Edinburgh by William Mitchel, Good and Fresh Solen Guiss three times every week.Per. 1738 Ochtertyre Ho. Bk. (S.H.S.) 185:
Received two Sollen geesse from Edinburgh.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary vi.:
There was the relishing Solan goose, whose smell is so powerful that he is never cooked within doors.Ayr. 1833 Galt Howdie, etc. (1923) 45:
He had been on a voyage of pleasure, like most young men of the Trongate, to the Craig of Ailsa, where he feasted on solan geese.Inv. 1880 Trans. Inv. Scientific Soc. II. 28:
Immense quantities of fish that were annually consumed by gannets, solan geese, and gulls.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
The voice of him was like a solan's and dinnled in folks' lugs.Sc. 1933 Times (13 Oct.) 17:
The solan (in England the gannet) is surely one of the greatest travellers in the bird world.Per. 1965 Perthshire Advert. (23 June) 9:
The Solan goose, of course, flies at a considerable height above the sea.Sh. 1999 Laughton Johnston in Myra Sanderson Heritage Scotland Vol. 16 No. 2 22:
The largest part of the property lies close by the spectacular coastal cliffs of Herma Ness National Nature Reserve with its huge seabird colonies, notably its solans (gannets) and tammy nories (puffins) by the thousands, which itself has wonderful and rugged coastal scenery open to the full force of the Atlantic swells.
