Burns Cottage

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Burns Cottage
Burns Cottage, Alloway 2017-05-17 - 1.jpg
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Burns Cottage
Burns Cottage within Scotland
General information
TypeCottage
Location16 Alloway
Town or city Ayr
CountryScotland
Coordinates 55°25′58″N04°38′06″W / 55.43278°N 4.63500°W / 55.43278; -4.63500
Elevation23m
Completed1757

Burns Cottage, the first home of Robert Burns, in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland was built by his father, William Burnes in 1757. Burns, Scotland's national poet, was born there on 25 January 1759. It is a four-roomed clay and thatch cottage and has been fully restored to become part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Contents

History

The cottage has had a number of uses, including a spell as a pub, run by a Mr Goudie from Riccarton who saw the opportunity to exploit Burns's developing reputation. [lower-alpha 1] At first therefore the cottage was not greatly valued. The Suffragettes recognised its importance, having once endeavoured to set the cottage alight. [2]

In 1818, the English poet John Keats took a trip to Scotland to visit the home, years after Burns' death in 1796. Before Keats arrived, he wrote to a friend that "one of the pleasantest means of annulling self is approaching such a shrine as the cottage of Burns – we need not think of his misery – that is all gone – bad luck to it – I shall look upon it all with unmixed pleasure." [3] but his encounter with the cottage's alcoholic custodian returned him to thoughts of misery. [4]

Pictures

See also

Burns Cottage (Atlanta), a reproduction of Burns' birthplace, built in 1911

Related Research Articles

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1818.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alloway</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Alloway is a suburb of Ayr, and former village, in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the construction of Hopetoun House, Craigiehall, and Kinross House, also hailed from Alloway. Some historic parts of the village make up a conservation area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stair, East Ayrshire</span> Hamlet in East Ayrshire, Scotland

Stair is a village in Ayrshire, Scotland. It lies at the bottom of a glen beside the River Ayr at the north-west border of the 5,376 acre (22 km2) Parish of Stair where the River Ayr is joined by the Glenstang Burn.

The Burns Club of Atlanta, officially organized in 1896, is a private social club and literary and cultural society commemorating the works and spirit of the 18th century national poet of Scotland, Robert Burns. In addition to holding monthly meetings, the club has held a Burns supper celebration on the anniversary of Burns' birthday every year since 1898. Club events are held in the Atlanta Burns Cottage, a 1911 replica of poet Robert Burns' birthplace in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. The Cottage has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Burns Cottage since 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alloway Auld Kirk</span> Church in Alloway

The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th century, is a ruin in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland, celebrated as the scene of the witches' dance in the poem "Tam o' Shanter" by Robert Burns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Doon</span>

The River Doon is a river in Ayrshire, Scotland. Its course is generally north-westerly, passing near to the town of Dalmellington, and through the villages of Patna, Dalrymple, and Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns. The source of the Doon is Loch Doon, high in the Galloway Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tam o' Shanter (poem)</span> 1790 poem by Robert Burns

"Tam o' Shanter" is a narrative poem written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1790, while living in Dumfries. First published in 1791, at 228 lines it is one of Burns' longer poems, and employs a mixture of Scots and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnes Broun</span> Mother of Robert Burns

Agnes Broun, Agnes Brown or Agnes Burnes, was the mother of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Agnes's father, Gilbert (1708–1774), was the tenant of the 300-acre (120 ha) farm of Craigenton, in Kirkoswald parish, South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eglinton Country Park</span>

Eglinton Country Park is located on the grounds of the old Eglinton Castle estate in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Eglinton Park is situated in the parish of Kilwinning, part of the former district of Cunninghame, and covers an area of 400 ha ([98 acres ] of which are woodland. The central iconic feature of the country park is the ruined Eglinton Castle, once home to the Eglinton family and later the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and chiefs of the Clan Montgomery. Eglinton Country Park is managed and maintained by North Ayrshire Council and its Ranger Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burns Monument, Kilmarnock</span>

The Burns Monument in Kay Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland, commemorates the poet Robert Burns (1759–1796). It is located at an elevated position within Kay Park, to the east of Kilmarnock Town Centre. The monument was opened in 1879, and is a category B listed building. In 2004, following years of neglect by the local council, fire destroyed most of the building. What was left of the monument was incorporated into the new Burns Monument Centre which opened in 2009. In 2010 the centre was shortlisted for the Carbuncle Cup award run by Building Design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brig o' Doon</span> Bridge

The Brig o' Doon, sometimes called the Auld Brig or Old Bridge of Doon, is a late medieval bridge in Ayrshire, Scotland, and a Category A structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Burns</span> Scottish poet and lyricist (1759–1796)

Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellisland Farm</span> Museum in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK

Ellisland Farm lies about 6.5 mi/10.4 km northwest of Dumfries near the village of Auldgirth, located in the Parish of Dunscore, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The complex is a museum in the farm Robert Burns built, lived in and farmed from 1788 until 1791. One of the earliest references to the site is in 1465. Cardinal Antonius confirming a Charter by the Monastery of Melrose of the adjoining property of Ellisland to John Kirkpatrick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Burns Birthplace Museum</span> Museum in Scotland

The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is a museum which houses collections relating to the life of Robert Burns, Scotland's national Bard. It is run by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and is located within Alloway in Ayrshire, the village where Burns was born. It neighbours Burn's Cottage, the house in which Burns was born.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Burns's diamond point engravings</span>

Robert Burns came to know James Cunninghamme, Earl of Glencairn in Edinburgh in 1786 through a 'Letter of Introduction' provided by Dalrymple of Orangefield who was married to Lady Glencairn's sister. The Earl received the poet warmly in his house and introduced him to his friends. One of several gifts from the earl to the poet was a diamond point pen, stylus, or cutter which he used to write upon many windowpanes and glasses, scribing verse, his signature, epigrams, or other writings for posterity. Many of these diamond-point engravings survive, some however are contentious as regards either their authenticity, meaning, or both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burns Clubs</span> Associations which celebrate Robert Burns and Scottish literature

Burns Clubs exist throughout the world to encourage and cherish the memory of Robert Burns, to foster a love of his writings and generally to encourage an interest in the Scots Language and Literature. An emphasis on encouraging the young to take an interest in Burns is found in most clubs through poetry, singing and other competitions. Once mainly existing as 'male only' clubs in the mould of the Tarbolton 'Batchelor's Club' most now welcome women as fellow members. Ladies Burns Clubs also exist such as the 'Irvine Lasses' that was established in 1975; it has appointed several male 'Honorary Lasses'.

Events from the year 1818 in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnes Burns</span> Sister of Scottish poet Robert Burns

Agnes Burns or Agnes Galt was the eldest sister of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns. She was born in 1762 at the Alloway Cottage in South Ayrshire to William Burnes and Agnes Broun. She did not adopt the spelling 'Burnes'. At the advanced age of forty-two, late for the times in which she lived, she married William Galt at Dinning in 1804 who had worked for her brother Gilbert at Dinning Farm in Nithsdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Richmond (lawyer)</span> Scottish lawyer

John Richmond (1765–1846) was one of Robert Burns's closest friends and confidants. He was born in Sorn parish at Montgarswood, Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, Henry Richmond, was a merchant in Mauchline and owned Montgarswood Farm that lies near Sorn. This farm passed to James, John's brother, having once been farmed by William Fisher, Burns's Holy Willie.

References

  1. "Cottage for sale". Bell's Weekly Messenger. 25 November 1838. p. 4.
  2. Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London : Jenkins. P. 60
  3. Costa, Robert, "Keats’s House, Restored", article, The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2009, retrieved August 12, 2009
  4. Colvin, Sidney. John Keats.
  1. Cottage for Sale — The cottage in which the Ayrshire Bard, Robert Burns, was born, which has been for years a well frequented inn, now advertised for sale by the incorporation of shoemakers of Ayr, to whom the premises present belong. [1]

55°25′58″N4°38′00″W / 55.432812°N 4.633464°W / 55.432812; -4.633464