Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 2–3 ihar, yhar, 3 yhare, (yere), 3–9 yare, 4 yar, 4–6 yaire, 5 ȝar, 6–9 yair, 9 yaar. [OE. ʓear, ʓer, recorded in comb. mylenȝear, -ʓer ‘millyair.’] An inclosure extending into a tide-way in a river or on the sea-shore, for catching fish; a fishgarth.
1178–1219. Chartulary of Abbey of Lindores (S.H.S.), 11. Omnes piscarias in they … preter vnam piscariam meam, scilicet, vnam iharam ad colcrike.
c. 1200. Newminster Cartul. (Surtees), 15. Piscarias meas de Benton in Tyna, &c. Hames yhare et Burnemuth yare.
1369. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. (1814), 66/1. Cum piscariis infra aquas de Northesk, et Suthesk, in crois, yaris, et Rethibus.
1408. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 53. In cccc sperlynges de nostro ȝar, ij s.
1511. Exch. Rolls Scot., XIII. 443, note. With all woddis, forestis, wateris, lowis, yairis and fischingis thaireof bath in fresch watir and in salt.
1580. Burgh Rec. Edin. (1882), IV. 553. The demolescheing and doun casting of the cruvis and yairis on the watter of Forth.
c. 1680. Macfarlane’s Geogr. Collect. (S.H.S.), III. 211. Some of them [sc. herrings] … are taken in the Yairs.
1791. Statist. Acc. Scot., I. 282. There are a good number of salmon caught on the sea coast [Kiltearn] … by means of yaires, or small inclosures, built in a curve or semicircular form near the shore. At high water the salmon comes within these yaires, and at low water is easily taken. Ibid. (1793), VIII. 597. They erect what are called yares, a sort of scaffold projecting into the water; upon which they build little huts…; from these scaffolds they let down … their nets.
1883. Standard, 10 May, 3/6. He also destroyed a yare in which they often caught a number of herrings.
b. attrib. and Comb.: yair-fishing, fishing by means of yairs; yair-net, a long net fixed by poles and extending into a river so as to form a yair.
1796. Statist. Acc. Scot., XVII. 217. The Zair or Yair Fishings, so productive in this parish [sc. Cardross].
1805. State v. Leslie of Powis 109 (Jam.). The yare-net is about thirty-six fathoms in length, and about two and one-half fathoms in depth. Ibid., 356. The … yare nets extend at least three fourths across the channel of the river.
