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.
Quotation dates: 1806-1849, 1918-1994
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SCORIE, n. Also scorrie, scor(e)y, scaurie, scurrie; scourie, scowrie (Sh. 1821 Scott Pirate v., xxvii.), skoray, skori(e), -ye. [′skɔre, ′skʌre]
1. The young of any species of gull while still in its brown-speckled plumage (Ork. 1795 G. Low Fauna Orcad. (1813) 122; Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 193, 1885 C. Swainson Brit. Birds 207; Cai. 1907 J. Horne County Cai. 394; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1929 Marw.; I. and n.Sc. 1969).Ork. 1806 P. Neill Tour 25:
The Orkney name scaurie, is applied to this gull only while it is young and speckled.Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Sh. 418:
At this place, scories and kittiwakes are caught, by lines being let down perpendicular cliffs, and jerked into the young birds.Sh. 1849 Chambers's Journal (22 Sept.) 183:
Most of the gull tribes, for example, are indiscriminately of mottled gray in their first year, and are called vernacularly by one name — scorie.Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. 125:
I mind haein a tame scorie an a tame scarf whin I wis a boy.Cai. 1958 Edb. John o' Groat Liter. Soc.:
Where 'e scorries go ascreaming.Abd. 1960 People's Jnl. (12 March):
The awfa scraichin' o' the scurries.Sh. 1992 Bobby Tulloch A Guide to Shetland's Breeding Birds 53:
In Shetland generally an immature gull is called a Scorie. The species is usually identified e.g. a Swaabie Scorie is a young or immature Great Black-backed Gull. In Lerwick no such distinction is normally made and any gull of any age is called a Scorie. ne.Sc. 1994 Press and Journal 7 May 20:
"... aboot the time fan ye were thirtenn at the Broch and a scurry landit on a roof and a slack slate came aff and crackit ye on the heid and ye endit up in the bandages in the hospital for twa wikks. I think I've heard that story afore, aye."
2. The cormorant, Phalocrocorax carbo, or shag, P. aristotelis (Kcd. 1825 Jam.).Kcd. 1956:
Aye, a scarth's a cormorant, but that's mair the Hielan wey o't; we aye ca't a scurrie.
‡3. Transf. an avaricious, quarrelsome person (Cai. 1969).Cai. 1961 Edb. John o' Groat Liter. Soc. 21:
Hid'll be left til a lok o' scorries o' nephews an' nieces, fa'll be fechtan lek a lok o' bantan cocks eboot dividan 'e money.
4. A nickname for a native of Papa Stour In Sh. (Sh. 1969), or Wick in Cai. (Cai. 1969).
[Norw. skåre, O.N. skàri, = 1.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Scorie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/scorie>
