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.
According to some sources, the term derives from the Scots Language word scawed, which means "bare," while others suggest its origin is the Old Norse word sgat, denoting "rent," referring to grazing cattle on hills in return for payment.