BETRAYAL OF BURNS National Trust are accused of monumental Burns scandal
Demand for action not words at monument
The National Trust for Scotland today stands accused of the betrayal of Robert Burns.
Scotland’s first national monument to our Bard now stands in a decrepit state in Alloway, seen by tourists from all over the world.
Trustees who handed over the Monument and gardens in Alloway are now demanding answers after years of prevaricating.
They are also questioning why donated funds specifically for the 70- foot high Greek- style temple which towers over the Doon were not ringfenced by the NTS charity.
Costs of repair have somehow soared from £ 200,000 to £ 500,000. Burns hierarchy met on Thursday inside the monument to make their fears public for the first time through the Ayrshire Post. In the 30 minutes we were there, a procession of tourists from Italy, America, an Estonian literary society, people from London and Yorkshire passed through the tatty, damp memorial. Paint from the stone dome has flaked off due to years of water penetration, two radiators have rusted and the signature circular table has warped. Ayr MSP John Scott said: “This is the shame of not just of the people of Ayr, but Scotland and the world. “We are being short- changed by the NTS here.”
It’s a row Robert Burns himself might have liked to pen an ode to.
The former guardians of the first Scottish shrine to him at loggerheads with the country’s preservation charity the National Trust for Scotland.
Ayr MP John Scott is now demanding the government intervene to end the stalemate which is of huge embarrassment to culture secretary Fiona Hyslop, who was brought up in Alloway in the shadow of the Monument.
Hyslop has just sanctioned £ 500,000 of taxpayers’ money to fix an old herring drifter called Reaper.
Yet the famous monument to the country’s most famous poet stands decrepit.
Key to the Alloway row is that seven years ago the Burns Monument Trustees handed over cottages worth £ 600,000 and £ 135,000 in cash to the NTS.
Yet trustees say none of the money or assets were ringfenced to repair the monument.
Six years ago estimates to repair it were between £ 200,000 and £ 240,000.
That figure has now been costed at more than DOUBLE to £ 500,000 and the NTS is continuing a fundraising drive.
John Skilling, past president of the Robert Burns World Federation and Alloway Burns Club, has finally lost his patience.
He said: “The Burns Monument Trust handed it over to the National Trust for Scotland in 2009.
“At that time is was beginning to show dampness but we had handed over three cottages worth about £ 600,000 and £ 135,00 cash and they had plenty of assets to repair the monument then.
“They surveyed it in 2011 and reckoned with would cost up to £ 240,000. Later it became £ 350,000 and now they say half a million.”
“In the six years since then we have had promises quarter by quarter and it was supposed to have been finished this July.
“They are now proposing to put scaffolding up in January. Various chief executives of the trust have told me they are doing a detailed survey and looking for masons and painters.
“I did suggest if they were short of personnel there are plenty of retired, skilled folk at Alloway Parish Church.”
Funds of £ 3,247 were raised by public subscription in 1823, with more than 700 donors recognised in the local press.
It was the first memorial to Burns in Scotland and within 20 years of his death, his supporters were planning something of significance to remember him in perpetuity.
A major survey took place four years ago in which scaffolding was erected.
MSP John Scott added: “In view of the cultural significance of the Burns Monument not only to Ayrshire and Scotland, but to Burns enthusiast across the world, it is little short of a scandal that it has been allowed to deteriorate to the extent it has and immediate intervention is now needed to avoid what NTS themselves recognise is the risk of permanent damage. Another winter without such work being undertaken to make the necessary repairs will simply exacerbate what is already a critical situation.
“I have contacted both the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Government, urging that immediate remedial work is undertaken and that a timescale is set out for completion.”
Douglas Hemmings OBE, a trustee of the monument for 17 years, said: “It used to be looked after and was cleaned and we spent over £ 100,000 on it in 1995.
“The building was our raison d’etre and when we handed it over the NTS should have assumed the same responsibility we had and there is a legal document saying so. They have not done that.”
Nine months ago the NTS wrote to John and Douglas saying: “Over the past 18 months the Trust has been fundraising to meet the costs of the repairs – around £ 350,000 is estimated.
“I am happy to say this target has almost been reached allowing the conservation and reinterpretation of the structure to begin.”
Ian McIntyre, current senior vice president of the Robert Burns World Federation and crucially the heritage convenor.
Ian said: “We keep an eye on monuments such as this world- wide.
“This is very serious and all we get is the same PR being churned out.
“Work is imminent, surveys done but the only real message is nothing has happened and the dates keep moving.”
Robbie McMahon, past president of the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs, said: “We gave money to NTS for this monument
“The problem is there does not seem to be a separate account or ring- fenced in any way.
“We just don’t trust the Trust. We thought we knew what they were doing and that was a big mistake.”
Kathleen Davey, president of Ayr Burns Club, said: “I am horrified.
“We don’t even believe promises now.”
Margaret Skilling, volunteer guide at the monument and gardens, past president of the Ayrshire Association of Burns Clubs and past president of Alloway Burns Club.
She said: “I by choice do not bring visitors in here. I am ashamed.”
Stuart Maxwell, the National Trust for Scotland’s General Manager for Ayrshire and Arran, said he had responded in writing to John Scott.
He said: “We are inviting Mr Scott to the Burns Monument in person and see for himself the complexity of the task we are undertaking.
“This is an internationally important monument of great historical significance to Scotland and we are obliged to take the utmost care over any conservation works we embark upon. We have had specialists surveying the structure since January.”