With Burns Day upon us, here is a reminder of Ayrshire’s age-old connection to the legendary poet and the inspiration for some of his greatest works.
Burns carving on memorial
The WW1 war memorial on Ardrossan Beach pays tribute to Robert Burns through an intricate stone carving on the bottom of the stone cross.
It shows Burns between David Livingstone and James Watt.
It’s the perfect site to visit after a relaxing walk beside the water and shows the true impact of the incredible poet.
Robert Burns statue
New Cumnock is home to an impressive statue of Robert Burns, right beside the banks of Afton Water.
There are three gold commemorative plaques behind the statue to commend some of Burns’ greatest works; “A Man’s A Man For A’ That”, “To A Louse” and “O Were I On Parnassus Hill”.
Burns National Heritage Park
This historical park situated in Alloway, allows its visitors to follow an exciting trail leading to some of the most prominent parts of Burns’ life.
The first site is Burns Cottage, where the poet himself was born and spent the first few early years of his life.
The cottage is now an impressive museum, set up exactly the way it would have been when Burns lived in it.
Although the cottage comprises of one basic room, it was the main base for all of the cooking, sleeping and working and was the heart and soul of the Burns family’s life.
Cattle was also kept just next door to the living quarters, showing the true poverty that families of this era lived amongst.
Alongside the impressive interior set-up, the cottage contains a collection of letters and manuscripts sure to be informative to anyone who visits.
Bachelors’ Club
Tarbolton in Ayrshire is home to the iconic Bachelors’ Club where Robert Burns and around six of his closest friends spent a lot of time.
In 1780, the group set up an exciting debating society to entertain them when hard labour such as farm work was completed, on the fourth Monday of each month.
However, thatched houses such as this did not withstand years of adverse weather and in the late 1930s, it nearly faced demolition.
Luckily, it was saved by the National Trust of Scotland. Inside the building is original artifacts from the men’s debating club, all of which are available for visitors to see.
Souter Johnnie’s Cottage
Ayrshire’s relationship to Robert Burns doesn’t just stop at the historical landmarks, it also boasts some of the inspiration behind Burns’ greatest work – Tam O’Shanter.
Situated on Main Road in Kirkoswald the cottage was the home to John Davidson, who lived in the cottage right up until his death in 1806.
He became the inspiration for the character of Souter Johnnie in the poem.
The cottage stands today as a fully refurbished home, showing a realistic account of Davidson’s workshop.
Auld Kirk
"Kirk Alloway was drawing night, Where ghaists and houlets nightly cry"
Auld Kirk is also one of the locations featured in Tam O’Shanter and is also where Burns’ father is buried.
The supposedly haunted church in Alloway is one of the most incredible sites to see around the heritage park.
It is accurate to assume that many of those buried here would have been close friends or family of the poet.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here