The value of our Rabbie

The animal was rustled into another room when it eventually let go.

He described how the householder Simone Johnston who was present at the time described Roxy as “evil” and said it also went for her. Paramedics rushed to the house to treat the injured pair.

S l o a n w a s a r r e s t e d . But she denied all the charges against her in the court dock.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie found her guilty of shouting, swearing and acting in an aggressive manner towards police officers.

The Sheriff also found Sloan guilty of being in charge of Roxy while she bit police officer Berry and was barking, growling and pulling towards him and another police officer Neil Stevenson.

Sloan was cleared of deliberately encouraging the Rottweiler to attack.

She must do 100 hours of unpaid work within three months. The University of Glasgow will carry out an extensive assessment of the economic value of Robert Burns to Scotland.

P ro f e s s o r Mur r a y Pittock of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University will led the research which is being funded by the Scottish Government.

The research will assess how much the worldwide fascination with Scotland’s national bard is supporting Scottish business and jobs.

It will also look at the potential for Burns to further support regional inclusive growth – from hotels and restaurants to food, drink and memorabilia.

While there have been studies of the economic impact of cultural industries before, this is believed to be a world first in carrying out a thorough assessment. In 2003 a study put the worth at £ 157m a year.

Professor Pittock, who is a Pro- Vice Principal at the University, said: “Tourism and food and drink are two of the three largest industries in Scotland, which in their turn reflect a highly visible national Scottish brand in the global marketplace, a brand which owes an enormous debt to Scotland’s 18th and 19th century history.

“We need to understand the relationship between our culture and our economy more fully in order to maximise our already worldleading position.”

Within the UK, culture and heritage tourism in Scotland attracts more visitors than anywhere outside London. Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway is second only to Shakespeare among UK writers’ museums in its visitor numbers

The research project will run until the summer of 2019, with an interim report ahead of the Burns season in January.