Doric Fae North East Scotland

Doric is the dialect of the Scots language spoken in the North East of Scotland and you may hear it when visiting the area. There is a matter of debate, if it a language or a dialect, but with an estimated 30,000 Doric speakers many words have now entered everyday use.

Doric shares linguistic roots with the Scandinavian languages. A Doric-speaker has bairns, goes to kirk, speirs questions and wipes stue (dust). The Norwegian equivalents are barn, kirke, spørre and støv.

There are hundreds more. Although you don’t need to know how to speak Doric to enjoy your travels
around the area, here are some of our favourite words:
 Strushie - untidy, slovenly, disorderly
 Crabbit – grumpy, ill-tempered
 Drookit – drenched
 Cappie – ice cream cone
 Blootered – drunk
 Wifie – woman
 Teuchter – rural dweller
 Swick – cheat
 Skelp – slap
 Scunner – to annoy or irritate
 Puggled – tired, exhausted
 Briks – trousers
 Claik – gossip
 Contermashious – contrary, negative
 Dirl – rotate, spin
 Lum – chimney
 Gype – fool
 Feart – afraid
 Dookers – swimming costume
 Clype – tell tales

You can find out more from the tourism destinations and organisations.

• Visit Scotland
• Visit Cairngorms
• Visit Aberdeenshire
• Moray Speyside Tourism
• Visit Braemar
• Visit Ballater
• Snow Roads
• North East 250
• Visit Angus