Some sources say it derives from the Scots Language word scawed, meaning "bare." Others suggest that it derived from the Old Norse word sgat (meaning "rent") as cattle were pastured on the hill on payment of a rent.
Some sources attribute the term's derivation to the Scots Language word scawed, meaning "bare." Others propose that it comes from the Old Norse word sgat, which means "rent," indicating that cattle grazed on hills in exchange for a rent.