A Bard's Tale

A celebration supper to Robert Burns, haggis and whisky included.

        I couldn't let the 25th of January come and go without mentioning Robert Burns, Scotland's famous bard, in my blog. Last year I shared some facts about him along with various photographs of Scotland, but this year I wanted to do something a bit special.

    So I made the 120 mile round trip to his birthplace in Alloway, Ayrshire. While I soaked up the atmosphere, I took lots of photographs in the hope that you could share some of the experience with me.

 

    My first stop was the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, www.burnsmuseum.org.uk where I found a fantastic exhibition of the belongings and works of the man himself. His chair balancing on its back legs and pages of a manuscript floating eerily above his desk where he penned some of his famous works, instantly caught my eye.



Tam o'Shanter being chased by a witch

    Paintings depicting his colourful characters, bring the collection of handwritten manuscripts alive.  A 3D, digitised version of the book known as the Kilmarnock Edition, is also displayed in the museum. Allowing the visitor to sample Burns's, Poems Chiefly in the Scots Dialect, as though it was written yesterday.  

 

    The limited edition, published by John Wilson a firm based in Kilmarnock in 1786, showcased Burns's talent for writing and led him to stardom. Each display cabinet certainly has a story to tell about this celebrated individual and the recordings of his poems and songs that you can listen too create an electrifying ambiance.

Alloway Auld Kirk



    After lunch we set off on foot to explore the rest of the site. A short walk and we found ourselves at Alloway Auld Kirk, which famously features in Burns's poem Tam o'Shanter.

William Burns's grave



    Inside the gates of the Auld Kirk, a group of young school children gathered around Burns's father, William's, grave. They were listening to their guide, who was reading aloud the inscription on the rear of the worn headstone which was composed by the poet.

Burns Monument

     On leaving the grounds of the Kirk and looking left, the skyline is dominated by the Burns Monument. Entering through a turnstile iron gate, we found ourselves surrounded by beautiful memorial gardens, pathways zigzagging here and there.

Tam o'Shanter (Left) Sooter Johnie (Right)

    The path we chose led us to a building that houses life size statues of Tam o'Shanter, Sooter Johnie and Nance Tinnock. Leaving here we went straight to the monument itself, however it is in need of some restoration inside, but a worthwhile visit nevertheless.

Inside the monument

    With Tam o'Shanter's image and poem now in my mind, we headed for the Brig O'Doon. The bridge where Tam on the back of his trusted grey mare, Meg, crossed the river to escape the clutches of chasing witches. Luckily, both Tam and his mare successfully escaped with their lives. Unluckily for Meg she lost her tail in the process.

 

Brig O'Doon





    Our last stop was the cottage that Burns was born in, with its whitewashed walls and thatched roof. Built by his father, two of its four rooms were used by the family themselves, Burns being born in the box bed in the kitchen.





Burns's Birthplace

    The remaining rooms were utilised as a byre for their animals and a barn to store the tools needed on the small holding. He lived here for the first seven years of his life before his Mother, Agnes and father  moved the family to Mount Oliphant Farm, near Alloway.

The bed Burns was born in

        This was the end of my trail, but the tales and poems of the Scottish bard will live on forever. 

   

River Doon