Thanks Jim--as a mere hewer of wood [retd.] and completely self taught computer user you lads have the advantage of me.          When I first came across Patersons quote more than fifty years back his explanation of the name of the waulking process in Ayrshire, to my mind, fitted the chorus of the song better than that of pulling bracken. If my memory is correct he stated that the process was carried out in the evening by the young people of the community and on occasion on their way home one of the lassies would lose the right to wear the snood.
Back to the magnifying glass to find the relevant quote.
Joe.