Introduction

This post, which has been inspired by an article in the current issue of Scotland Magazine, focuses on the early life of Robert Burns in and within range of the village of Alloway. It should be possible to visit the sites specified within course of a one day trip from Glasgow.

Robert Burns is Scotland’s National Poet. He lived a short but eventful life focused on Ayrshire in S.W. Scotland. His extensive literary output, which includes the globally recognised Auld Lang Syne, was written in the local Scots-English dialect.

Early life at Alloway

Burns was born 1759 in a basic cottage at Alloway constructed by his own father. He spent the first seven years of his life with siblings at the Alloway cottage gaining active exposure to the rural based lifestyle. In his early years Burns was fortunate to benefit from from education via a private tutor.

Also at Alloway (thirty eight miles S.W. of Glasgow) is the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum which is linked to the birthplace via Poet’s Path, about ten minutes away.

The Birthplace Museum is a popular visitor attraction which focuses on celebrating the life, work and legacy of Burns.

Across the road from the Birthplace Museum can be found the Auld Kirk. This building is referred to in the poem Tam O Shanter. The burial ground holds the remains of Burns’ father and younger sister.

On the opposite side of the road to the Kirk, down a side lane can be found the Burns Monument, the design of which is inspired from the classical Greek. Within view of the monument is the Brig o’ Doon (bridge over the River Doon) which also features in Tam o’ Shanter.

Burns at Tarbolton

At age seven the Burns family moved to the nearby Mount Oliphant Farm and subsequently, in 1777, the family relocated to a larger farm near Tarbolton, ten miles N.E. of Alloway.

At Tarbolton, in 1777, Burns established the Bachelors’ Club, a male only debating society. The rooms in which the society met now form a museum in the red-shuttered, thatched building illustrated below.

Burns at Mauchline

After the death of Burns’ father, Burns moved to Mauchline (five miles east of Tarbolton) and resided there between 1784-1788. At Mauchline Burns met and married Jean Armour. The house (red brick cottage) where the married couple lived is now the Burns House Museum which is open to the public.

This blog post contains more information on the life of Burns.

More Information.

For more information on Burns, various other aspects of Scottish culture and help for tourists generally please refer to Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4.