Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCATTAN, n. Also scatyin, -un; skadyen (wm.Sc. (1835 Gsw. Journal (19 Dec.) 104). A herring (ne.Sc., Arran, Ayr. 1969). Only in areas such as the Moray Firth and the Firth of Clyde where there has been contact with Gaelic-speaking fisherman. Comb. scattan gow, the herring gull (Mry., Bnff. 1969), also Johnnie scattan, Robbie scattan, id. (Id.). [′skɑtən]Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 264:
He was “gaun tae hae a day at the Scatyins”.Mry. 1883 F. Sutherland Memories 134:
A pot stuff'd wi' tatties an' scattan.Arg. 1899 R. Ford Vagabond Songs (1904) 242:
The captain, being kind to us, Put on the muckle pot, Wi' scatyuns for to boil to us.Bnff. 1923 Banffshire Jnl. (5 June):
“Scattan galore”, I hear a Gael say.Bch. 1949 W. R. Melvin Poems 84:
The Empire o' the Danes wis foun't on scattan banes.