The Scots language is a diverse and unique one, with a variety of local dialects and variations found across the country, from the rural villages in the north, to the bustling cities in the central belt. If you’ve not quite got the hang of Scotland’s patter just yet, stay tuned and we’ll give you all the inside info you need for your next trip to Scotland.

Before you start your trip, you should know there are 4 main Scots dialects; Insular spoken in Orkney and Shetland, Northern uttered from Aberdeen all the way down to Angus, Central spoken everywhere from Glasgow to Dumfries and Argyll, and Southern which is heard in the Bonnie Borders. However, there are lots of sub-dialects within these to, so if you’re planning on touring across different regions and locations, you’re bound to come across a least a few of these unique dialects when chatting to the locals.

A lot of Scots word are often light-hearted and fun to learn. Here are 5 examples to get you started:

1. Bahookie; ‘buttocks’ or ‘backside’
2. Coorie; to snuggle or cuddle
3. Fankle; to entangle; a tangle; or confusion
4. Dook; to dip in liquid, especially water
5. Wheesht; to call for silence or to be quiet

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the incredible range of Scots words, phrases and sayings. If you are intrigued and want to learn more, why not head over to our website?

Scots Language

Wheesht

Sleekit

Shoogle

Piece

Peelie Wally

Oxter

Loon

Keek

Haver

Glaikit

Gallus

Fankle

Dreich

Dook

Coorie

Braw

Blate

Bahookie

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Scots Language

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