Ayr Accommodation

Robert Burns Statue in the Burns Museum, Alloway, Ayrshire

Kirk Alloway, inspiration for dancing warlocks in Burns' Tam O'Shanter poem

Burns Monument & Monument Garden, Alloway

Brig o'Doon, Bridge over the Doon River, Alloway

Burns Cottage & Museum, Alloway

Burns Cottage, Alloway, Ayrshire. Birthplace of Poet Robert Burns

Robert Burns Museum, Burns Monument, Tam O Shanter Experience, Alloway

Families and children are well catered for at the Tam o'Shanter Experience within the Burns Heritage complex, which includes an audio-visual film relaying the story of one of Burns' most famous poems (set in Alloway) 'Tam O'Shanter'. Move on to view the Burns Monument and Gardens, and the Old Alloway Kirk, features in 'Tam o'Shanter' and the site for the grave of William Burns, the poet's father and others who knew Burns in his day.

Burns Museum, Portrait of Robert Burns

The Burns Museum here at Alloway is recognised as an important centre for its Burns archive. The Burns Cottage Museum dates back as far as 1900 and its archive contains huge numbers of Burns manuscripts, artefacts, original manuscripts of Burns' poems and a collection of 'Burnsiana' souvenirs particularly from the Victorian period to the present.

The Burns archive here is accompanied by an extensive library containing a vast number of books by Burns and about Burns. Treasures include a first edition of the Kilmarnock Edition, a series of peoms published by Burns to raise funds for a trip to Jamaica. Also on display is one of Burns' 'Common-place Books'. In here he recorded reflections, observations and bits of poetry and he started writing in it from 1787 when he visited Edinburgh. See also Burns' Highland Journal kept during his tour of the Highlands in 1787.

Tam O'Shanter Burns Poem & Tam O'Shanter Experience

"O Tam! Had'st thou but been sae wise, As taen thy ain wife Kate's advice! A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum . She prophesied that late or soon, Thou wad be found, deep drown'd in Doon, Or catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk, by Alloway's auld, haunted kirk".

Tam o'Shanter is the Burns poem particularly associated with historic Alloway, his birthplace. There are real life sites in Alloway which feature in the poem such as 'Alloway's auld hunted kirk' and 'the key-stone o' the brig', the Brig o'Doon Bridge which remains here in Alloway and crosses the Doon River (running water which the witches and warlocks chasing Tam dare not cross).

Tam o'Shanter, depicted in audio-visual film in the Tam o'Shanter Experience at Alloway, is one of Burns' most popular and well known poems. It's inspired numerous artistic expressions, some of which are exhibited at the Burns Museum here in Alloway. One of the best known is James Drummond's 'Tam o'Shanter which depicts Tam and mule Meg fleeing a witch. More recently the artist Goudie has produced a series of paintings on the Tam o'Shanter poem (visit Rozelle House in Ayr to see the Goudie Collection).

Kirk Alloway & History of Robert Burns Poems

Many a tale, probably told to Burns as a child by distant cousin Betty Davidson, would have featured the old Kirk Alloway. In fact Burns seems to have condensed with great skill a selection of old tales which include witches and warlocks dancing and brewing at Kirk Alloway into his Tam o'Shanter poem. Muster your courage and take a walk around the Old Kirk Alloway, still here in Alloway and the site of William Burnes' grave.

In Burns' day the Old Kirk was thought to be haunted, and today even in daylight it has a slightly unsettling feel about it. The kirk remains partially in ruins, and is much as it would have been in Burns time here in Alloway.

Burns Monument Garden, Robert Burns Scottish Poet Alloway

You might notice a similarity between the Burns Monument here in Alloway and the Burns Monument on Regent Street in Edinburgh. Not surprising then to discover that they were both designed by the same hand - the Edinburgh architect Thomas Hamilton (Hamilton also designed the Royal High School also on Regent Street in Edinburgh).

The monument is rather interesting for its context within the explosion of monuments during the early Victorian period in Scotland. This one at Alloway was one of the earliest, opened finally in 1823 and the result of a campaign by the Burns Monument Trust led by local citizens with Sir Alexander Boswell (son of James Boswell the biographer) at the helm.

The raised site, bought from Lord Alloway by the Trust in 1818, was chosen specifically for its location. Most of the key Burns sites including the Brig, Old Kirk and surrounding Alloway countryside can be easily seen up here. The Burns Monument resembles a temple, with a Grecian neoclassical design fully embellished by Hamilton stands at 70 feet. The 9 pillars within the design represent the 9 Muses of Greek mythology.

These 9 Muses sit on a 3 sided base. The 3 sides represent the old divisions of Ayrshire, Kyle, Carric and Cunninghame. The gardens around the Burns Monument were created at the same time by the Trust. Wandering around you'll bump into the 1832 Statue House where there's a series of life size sandstone carvings by James Thom. Inclusive are statues of Tam o'Shanter and his drinking partner Souter Johnie. The statues are well worth a look, with their natural air in contrast to the stylised monument.

The Ayrshire Burns Trail

The official Ayrshire/Arran Tourist Information website (linked right) have put together some excellent Robert Burns trail itinerary suggestions. See them on their website. For the biggest of all the Burns Monuments visit Kay Park in Kilmarnock!

As well as the Burns National Heritage Park in Alloway, dedicated Robert Burns fans may well want to push into other areas and historic sites on the Burns Trail. In Ayrshire Burns sites at Mauchline, Tarbolton and Irvine are all worth a visit, particularly the Burns House Museum at Mauchline. Burns lived here for four years. Other Burns related sites include Highland Mary's Monument in the village of Failford and the Bachelors' Club in the village of Tarbolton, now managed by the National Trust for Scotland (weblink right). Bachelors' Club, Sandgate Street, Tarbolton, Ayrshire & Arran, KA5 5RB. Tel.0844 4932146.

Burns lived and worked in Mauchline, to the east of Ayr, from 1784 to 1788 and it was here that he met and married Jean Armour. The house where he lived is now a museum, with more original Burns artefacts and archive on display. The original Kilmarnock Edition is held here, plus across the road from the house is Nanse Tinnock's which was an alehouse when Burns was here. He was a frequent visitor. Audio-visual displays guide you through Burns' time at Mauchline.

The Burns House Museum, Castle Street, Mauchline, East Ayrshire, KA5 5BZ. Tel. 01290 550045. (Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10am to 4pm).

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