Chiefly Sc. Also Sc. 6 vestland, 6, 9 wastland, 8 westlan’. (Cf. WESTLIN a.) [f. WEST a. (or OE. west-) + LAND sb.]
1. The western part of a country; esp. the West of Scotland.
1489. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 107. To pass with letteres of the Kingis for the Lordis of the Westlande.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 291. He passit … to the toune of Air and to the pairtis of the wastland.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxv. He uses maist partly the westland of Scotland.
1894. K. Hewat, Little Scottish World, v. 58. It was understood Montrose would make a descent on the Westland.
2. attrib. a. Of persons: Living in, coming from, the West of Scotland.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VII. 776. A hundyr fyrst till him selff he has tayne, Off westland men. Ibid., X. 308.
1522. Q. Margaret, in MS. Cott. Calig., B. VI. fol. 270 b. On the on syde, the vestland lordys and my lord of Angus vas forth.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 205. All the rest of the norland men and wastland men mett the King at Stirling.
1651. Sir A. Johnston (Ld. Wariston), Diary (S.H.S.), II. 74. The vyle band which seven Westland gentlemen had subscryved.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xxiv. When he raised his militia … against the wrang-headed wastland whigs. Ibid. (1827), Two Drovers, i. The strong west-landman laughed aloud.
1828–43. Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), II. 239. On the rear division were the westland and Stirlingshire men.
b. Of places: Situated in the west.
1523. Q. Margaret, in MS. Cott. Calig., B. VI. fol. 440. The erl of Huntlay hath all the ruil of the north partys, the erl of Lenoss all the vestland part.
1650. J. Nicoll, Diary (Bannatyne Club), 30. Ane Associatioun concludit and drawn up among the Westland schyres.
c. 1670. in Jrnl. Friends Hist. Soc., XXI. 69. Throwghout the Westland presbiteries belonging to that synod [sc. Glasgow].
1834. Tait’s Mag., I. 608/1. Had she not given … reason to believe she thought them the greatest people on Westland ground.
1875. Morris, Æneids, VIII. 148. All the Westland earth beneath their yoke shall lie.
c. Proceeding from the west; blowing from the west, westerly.
1650. Sir A. Johnston (Ld. Wariston), Diary (S.H.S.), II. 30. They censured the Westland Remonstrance mor nor Northland Band.
1847. Emerson, Poems, Monadnoc, 136. Smoking in a squalid room Where yet the westland breezes come.
Hence Westlander; -landways adv.
a. 1676. H. Guthrie, Mem. (1702), 238. The West-Landers advanced towards Edinburgh. Ibid., 240. The Westlanders … were all poor ignorant Creatures, taken from their Husbandry.
1814. Scott, Wav., xxxvi. A few shots were exchanged betwixt them and the Westlanders. Ibid. (1820), Monast., xxxv. Instead of that comes news that he has gone westlandways about some tuilzie in Ayrshire.
