20 best Robert Burns locations to visit in Scotland

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

Murdoch’s Lone, Alloway, Ayr

THIS multi-media experience allows visitors to truly comprehend what it meant to be a creative genius growing up poor in 18th century Scotland.

The main exhibition includes interactive games and quizzes. You can even play tunes on a Burns jukebox.

There are also books and manuscripts to study plus a pair of pistols owned by the poet.

For the less historically inclined, (i.e. the kiddies in your group) there’s a Burns-themed play area in the garden which includes a Tam o’ Shanter zip wire and Witches’ Cauldron roundabout. (Regrettably we don’t think adults are allowed on the rides… boo!)

Information regarding opening times is available on the VisitScotland website.

Robert Burns Cottage

Alloway, Ayr

AS noted above, Burns came from humble stock. And it doesn’t get much humbler than the Alloway abode where he was born and raised until the age of seven. The cottage, built by Rab’s dad, is delightfully snug. And by delightfully snug we mean pokey.

It contains only three rooms, and not particularly roomy rooms, at that. You can also marvel at the tiny box bed that Burns Jnr was forced to squeeze into with three of his siblings.

The cottage was where the writer received his earliest schooling, no doubt at the bare kitchen table. This rudimentary education eventually led him on a path to fame and fortune. (Okay, maybe not fortune. Though he certainly became a well-kent chap aroond toon.)

Poet’s Path

Alloway

WHILE many of his fellow poets preferred to waste away in their garrets, looking pale-faced and interesting, Rob was a ruddy-cheeked rogue who thoroughly enjoyed romping in Scotland’s fresh air. (Which would usually have had a hint of rain, sleet and snow mixed in with all the freshness, of course.)

The Poet’s Path, which is a track linking the Birthplace Museum and Burns Cottage, allows the Burns disciple to imbibe great lung-fulls of Ayrshire air… or do we mean Airshire ayr? It’s all so confusing.

The path is no mere walkway, but is a beautifully constructed amble speckled with seasonal plantings and Burns-related artworks.

Look out for Kenny Hunter’s ‘wee mouse’ statue constructed from cast iron. Further along is a larger-than-life granite haggis, made by Jake Harvey.

The Globe Inn

56 High Street, Dumfries

SOME people visit a pub for the briefest of tipples then toddle off home. Burns was no fan of the quicky quencher. When Scotland’s most passionate poet swaggered into his local boozer he caroused and aroused in equal measure.

This was certainly true when he marched into The Globe Inn, which rather surprisingly still stands, given the pummelling Rob and his buddies gave it back in the day.

The Globe was the Dumfries watering hole where Bobby got blootered with the boys. When (slightly) more sober he would open up his newspaper (The Herald, no doubt) and read aloud to his illiterate companions, telling them tales of the revolutionary fervour which had overcome faraway France.

He also wooed the pub’s serving wench, Anna Park, indulging in a passionate affair with her in the conveniently situated bedchamber, and later scribbled a poem in her honour.

Visitors to the pub nowadays tend to get equally passionate about the grub and glug available in what is now a very swish establishment.

Brig o’ Doon

River Doon, Ayrshire

THERE are plenty of frightening old houses and castles to visit in Scotland, infested with ghosts and ghoulies. But what about a scary bridge?

And, no, we don’t mean Glasgow’s Squinty Bridge, which is admittedly occasionally haunted by Burberry-clad rascals of the Ned variety, who can be rather terrifying when stumbled upon late at night, brandishing foul-smelling kebabs and bottles of booze.

But even that isn’t quite so horrifying as the Brig o’ Doon, which may look to the untrained eye like a pretty 15th-century cobblestone bridge, spanning the River Doon, though it is in fact one of the key locations in Tam o’ Shanter, Burns’s early version of a Stephen King novel.

The bard’s legendary poem is a tale of witches, warlocks and a terrified tippler called Tam.

Nowadays the bridge is a favourite spot for photographers and wedding parties, and even appears on a £5 note. Though be warned! Taking a photo of the bridge, then trying to use the printed image as legal tender may result in a visit to the pokey.

Alloway Auld Kirk

Alloway

WE continue the horror theme with a visit to Alloway Auld Kirk, another gloomy backdrop used by Burns in his tall tale of terror, Tam o’ Shanter. (You just know that if Rob was alive today he would be typing on his laptop next to a Hollywood pool, working feverishly on his latest draft of a script for the ‘Scream’ movie franchise.)

The 16th-century church was already a ruin in Burns’s time and he chose the kirk’s weathered gable-end as the spot where Tam first spies the capering witches and warlocks who subsequently chase him.

On a more biographical note, the Kirk is also where Burns’s father, William, and his younger sister, Isabella, are buried.

The inscription on William’s gravestone was penned by his son.

The Burns House Museum

Castle Street, Mauchline, East Ayrshire

THE Burns House Museum offers a combination of interactive and traditional exhibits and is a truly authentic Burns experience. (Or as authentic a Burns experience as you can get that doesn’t involve liquid lunches, lusty wenches and chatting to a wee hairy mouse.)

Situated along the cobbled back streets of Mauchline, this is where Robert Burns lived and worked between 1784 and 1788 - years that were amongst the most important and formative of his life. It was also in Mauchline that he met and married his great love (well, one of them) Jean Armour. On display are original manuscripts, including poems and letters.

Tam O' Shanter Inn

230 High Street

Ayr

ANOTHER pub said to have been frequented by Rob, who certainly liked to make sure that local hostelries didn’t suffer economic hardship when he was around.

It’s also claimed that Douglas Graham, a friend of the poet and inspiration for the character Tam o’ Shanter, called this boozer his local.

The inn is rumoured to be haunted, and Edinburgh University’s Parapsychology Department once asked to stay the night in order to get a glimpse of the spectre.

The thoughtful owners of the Tam O’ Shanter declined this request, no doubt realising that even ghosts need a decent night’s kip, and don’t like to be interrupted in their slumbers by noisy academics who go bump in the night.

Burns statue

Burns Statue Square

Ayr

THERE are nearly as many statues of Burns in Scotland as there are flesh and blood human beings. Perhaps there should be a decree stating that no more should be sculpted – a sort of statute of statue limitations. On second thoughts that wouldn’t be such a great idea, for Rob was a well-built chap, who looks rather splendid when constructed out of marble or stone.

No wonder pigeons enjoy perching on him.

Rather surprisingly, the first outdoor statue celebrating his likeness wasn’t raised in his homeland, but cropped up in Camperdown, Australia, back in 1830.

One statue that Burns would be exceedingly proud of is the version in Ayr town centre, which is plonked, dead centre, in Burns Statue Square.

Poosie Nansie’s Hostelry

21 Loudon Street

Mauchline

ONE of the more curious named watering holes in Ayrshire, Poosie Nansie’s in Mauchline is a tavern and possibly former brothel. Nowadays it’s a spruce and welcoming drinking establishment, though back in the late 18th century it wasn’t nearly so spiffy, and was said to be much frequented by beggars and ‘gangrel bodies’. That didn’t stop Burns from popping in for a regular jar, and the pub impressed him enough that he set the scene for his selection of bawdy songs, The Jolly Beggars, in this very boozer.

In case you happen to be scratching your head, wondering what exactly a Poosie Nansie happens to be… No, it isn’t an example of archaic Scots lingo. It’s the nickname of Agnes Gibson, the wife of a previous pub owner, George Gibson.

Statue of Burns

George Square

Glasgow

WE previously mentioned that there are many statues of Burns in Scotland. (And, indeed, the world.) Standing next to one of these effigies and gazing reverentially at its stony facade can be a very more-ish experience, and you may find that looking at one statue of Burns is just not enough to sate your appetite.

Like an ambitious rock climber setting his mind on completing a range of Munros, you may then decide to bag a bunch of Burns.

And what better place to confirm your addiction than in Glasgow’s George Square, where a statue of Rob can be seen boldly staring into the middle distance. Or perhaps he’s glaring hungrily at the Greggs Bakery across the road. He always was a chap who found it hard to restrain his appetites….

The Saracen Head

209 Gallowgate

Glasgow

THIS gallaus Glesga gargling emporium is home to the Celtic faithful nowadays, though historically it was associated with witty scribes such as Samuel Johnson, who took a break from his trip round Scotia to drink with his chum James Boswell in the Saracen.

Burns was another visitor, and hopefully he got a chance to drink from the pub’s legendary punch bowl, the cause of many a sore head of a morning.

Robert Burns Collection

Mitchell Library

North Street

Glasgow

THE Mitchell Library is perhaps most famous for providing a suitable location for school and university scholars to pretend to study for their exams. What they actually do is flirt with fellow students while pinging rubber bands at pals.

Such shameful shenanigans often conclude with an eagle-eyed librarian swooping down upon the scene and providing a less than subtle “Shhhhh!”, which puts a stop to all the lusting and larking for at least ten seconds.

It’s a great pity that such wanton behaviour goes on, because there is much to educate the curious mind at the Mitchell, including the Robert Burns Collection, which is stuffed with enough manuscripts to delight any true boffin of the Bard.

The Mitchell houses 900 editions of his works, plus fifteen original manuscripts in the poet’s hand, including the only surviving letter written by Burns in Scots. You’ll also find translations of his poetry into over thirty languages, proving what a universal figure he was.

Pear Tree House

Edinburgh

38 West Nicolson Street,

Old Town

Edinburgh

ON 28th November, 1786, Burns left Ayrshire on a borrowed pony, arriving in Edinburgh two days later. He was encouraged to come to the city by the blind Rev Dr Thomas Blacklock, who was enthusiastic about Robbie’s poems.

Dr Blacklock lived in the Pear Tree House, and Burns visited on several occasions. It’s now a vibrant pub. We’re sure the poet would have approved.

The Birks of Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy

Perthshire

BURNS didn’t just have an eye for a pretty lady. He was also an ardent admirer of Scotland’s countryside. The bucolic Burns can be enjoyed in such song lyrics as The Birks o’Aberfeldie. The Perthshire landscape that inspired him was originally called the Dens of Moness, though it is now better known by the name Burns gave it in 1787.

There’s yet another statue of the great man, here, plus a path to stroll along, overhung with birch, oak, ash and elm trees.

The roaring waterfall is spectacular and much of the gorge is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with woodland covering the landscape for up to 8,000 years.

The Burns Monument

Regent Road, Carlton Hill

Edinburgh

THE marble statue inside the monument, sculpted by John Flaxman, was moved to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 1889, though this elegant edifice is still worth a visit, even if only for the splendid views of Scotland’s ancient capital it affords, along with the surrounding hills. It really is essential to visit Edinburgh while following the Burns trail, for it was in this city that he was first feted in the local literary salons – the 18th century equivalent of getting a blue tick on Twitter.

M&S

Argyle Street

Glasgow

THE shadow of Burns appears in the most curious of places. Perhaps none more so than on the side of the M&S store in Glasgow’s Argyle Street, where a plaque commemorates the occasion when Rob lodged in the Black Bull Inn, located on this site in the late eighteenth century.

Is this branch of M&S haunted by his presence? We’re not sure. Though do keep an eye out for a burly farmer-type reciting poetry on the escalators…

Jean Armour Statue(s)

Mauchline and Dumfries

SINCE there are so many statues of Burns scattered around Scotland, it is perhaps fitting that there are also a few commemorating the long-suffering women in his life.

If Burns was alive today, the tabloids would probably be banging on the door of his wife, Jean Armour, trying to get her to dish the dirt on hubby. Or maybe Jean would have joined the #MeToo movement in revenge for the inconsiderate way she was sometimes treated by the poet.

Nevertheless, the couple were in love and Burns wrote moving romantic verse in her honour. Plus she is immortalised in two rather fine effigies in Mauchline and Dumfries.

Burns Monument Centre

Kay Park

Kilmarnock

AS you may have realised by now, Robert Burns had a strained relationship with the concept of fidelity. His love was fiery but fickle. Nevertheless, he remains one of the most romantic figures in our culture, which might explain why the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock’s Kay Park offers itself up as a venue for civil marriage ceremonies. It’s also Scotland’s first purpose-built genealogy centre.

Like Rob, the centre has its critics, especially its architecture, which some, including Building Design Magazine, have claimed is dull prose rather than blissful poetry.

Burns Mausoleum

St Michael’s Church

Dumfries

EVEN such a lively chap as Burns had to fade out eventually, and he died at the young age of 37. He spent the last seven years of his life in Dumfries, which is also the location of his final resting place, the suitably magnificent Burns Mausoleum, which stands at the eastern end of the churchyard of St Michael’s Church.

In a site crowded with monuments made of red stone, its white structure and dome stand out strikingly.

So even in death Burns continues to rise proudly above the humdrum horde.