gillie

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Ghillie or gillie is a Scottish dialect term that refers to a man or a boy who acts as an attendant on a fishing, fly fishing or a hunting or deer stalking expedition, primarily in Scotland in the Highlands or on a river such as the Spey River. In origin it referred especially to someone who attended on his employer or guests.

A ghillie may also serve as a gamekeeper employed by a landowner to prevent poaching on his lands, control unwelcome natural predators such as fox or otter and monitor the health of the wildlife.

Etymology

The origin of this word dates from the late 16th century, from the Scottish Gaelic gille, "lad, servant", cognate with the Irish gile or gi-olla.

Historically, the term was used for a Highland chief's attendant, also sometimes called a Gallowglass if he was also a soldier or guard, but this use became rare before the 20th century.

A gilhie-wetfoot, a term now obsolete (a translation of gillie-casfiiuc/s, from the Gaelic cas foot and fliuch wet), was the gillie whose duty it was to carry his master over streams. It became a term of contempt among the Lowlanders for the 'tail' (as his attendants were called) of a Highland chief.

See also

• Gamekeeper
• Ghillie Dhu, a Scottish mythological figure whose name means Dark Servant
• Ghillie suit
• John Brown

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.