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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†BRUNTLAND, BRUNTLIN, Burntland, n. Rough, mossy ground, formerly burnt over periodically. Also used attrib. Cf. Brintlin, n.¹ [′brʌntlɑnd, ′brʌntlən]Sh. 1936 (per Bnff.²):
I know a holding named Bruntland in Bressay.Abd. 1713 in J. Catto Jottings on the Parish of Fintray (1901) 48:
Every tenant shall yearly labour no more than two third parts of his bruntland.Abd. c.1760 Minutes of Farm. Club in Trans. Highl. and Agric. Soc. (1902) XIV. 80:
Brunt Lands are now very generally managed after the same manner. They are always of a mossy nature. The turf, when broke up from grass, used to be gathered into heaps and burnt, and immediately sown with bear, after which two crops of oats were taken in succession, and then it was suffered to run to grass. But this practice of burning having been found prejudicial, is now very generally prohibited, so that the practice is now rare, though the patches that had been formerly subjected to it still retain that name. [Also spelt burnt-lands, p. 83.]Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 41:
A' that skims the bruntlin soil.