Hundredsqueuetoview handwritten Burns script
HUNDREDS of people have queued to view a manuscript handwritten by Robert Burns as people around the world celebrate the anniversary of his birth.
The text of Ae Fond Kiss, one of the poet’s best known songs, went on display in Glasgow for two hours only due to the need to restrict the amount of time the 225-year-old document is exposed to light.
It was on show at the National Library of Scotland premises in Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall.
Burns wrote the song in December 1791 as his love Agnes McLehose prepared to depart for Jamaica to attempt a reconciliation with her husband.
Among the visitors was Isabel Crilley. The life-long Burns fans made the special trip from her home in Priestland, East Ayrshire, to coincide with celebrating her 56th birthday along with her mum Jean McDade.
Elsewhere in Scotland, a newly-restored monument of Burns was unveiled i n Dalkeith, Midlothian, where the poet visited in 1787 with the artist Alexander Nasmyth.
The Victorian cast iron fountain was installed on Dalkeith High Street in 1899 to mark the centenary of the poet’s death, but it was moved to several locations and the bowl, cherub and the lantern on the top were lost over time.
The monument underwent a £145,000 restoration following a Facebook campaign launched by Derek Hanlon, and it has now been unveiled in its new location outside the former Cross Keys Hotel and Tolbooth.
Special events took place around the country to mark the birth of Burns on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, South Ayrshire.
In London, a video showed Armed Forces personnel and diplomatic staff across the world reciting the renowned Burns poem Address To A Haggis is being launched at a reception at Lancaster House.
The event was being hosted by Scottish Secretary David Mundell and Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended an international Burns Night event in the Corn Exchange Edinburgh on Tuesday, alongside more than 350 students, dignitaries and university staff from 72 countries.
Burns Night celebrations are not confined to January 25, with events taking place throughout the week.
The Red Red Rose Street festival in Edinburgh is a new week-long celebration of the poet’s connections with the Scottish capital, encouraging visitors to follow a literary trail along Rose Street.