The best of Burns Night
THERE’S only one way to clear the January blues in Scotland and that’s with a good Burns Supper. An evening which blends Scottish tradition with enchanting entertainment, laughter and sensational food and drink, the ever-popular celebration of the birth of Scotland’s national bard, Robert Burns, on January 25, 1759, is well worth observing.
Traditional Burns Suppers begin with the sound of bagpipes piping in the top table followed by the introduction of the top table by the Chairman, who acts as Master of the Ceremonies and recites the famous Selkirk Grace: ‘Some hae meat and canna eat, and some would eat that want it, But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit’.
You might be surprised at just how easy it is to host your own Burns Supper, and there’s no better way to find out what it’s all about than VisitScotland’s downloadable eBook, Hold Your Own Burns Supper.
The free, 76-page guide is packed with all you need to know. Find out about the earliest Burns Suppers and read some fascinating facts before you discover how to plan your own cracking night.
For instance, did you know that Burns fathered 12 children in his 37-year lifetime, or that nine million people joined in with Burns Suppers in 2009? You’ll learn that a Burns Supper can be as formal or as informal as you like.
The guide covers all the most traditional components and running order, but also provides tips and advice on how you can put together a Burns Night which reflects your style.
You can even bring this timehonoured tradition to life in the comfort of your own living room.
Planning in advance will help ensure that your evening runs smoothly. The food and drink element is one of the first things to consider – will you be serving up entirely traditional fare, or opt for Scottish dishes with a modern twist?
The guide contains delicious recipes for all the classics along with inspiring ideas from top chefs on how to get creative.
So now you’re f ul l to t he brim of haggi s , neeps, tatties a nd poetry and if that has just whet your appetite to discover more about the intriguing life of Robert Burns, where better to start than by travelling to Ayrshire, the Poet’s birthplace.
Spend a day at the fantastic Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, which houses the world’s most important Burns collection. Set in ten acres of beautiful countryside in Alloway, the site includes the famous Burns Cottage, where he was born in 1759, the Burns Monument, gardens, the Auld Kirk and Brig o’ Doon, made famous in his poem Tam O’ Shanter.
To delve deeper, visit the Bachelor’s Club in Tarbolton, the 17th century thatched cottage where Burns established his debating club, and the Burns House Museum in Mauchline where he lived and worked between 1784 and 1788.
If you would rather join in an organised shindig on Burns Night, there are events taking place t hroughout t he country.
Below are listed just a few which are sure to be a great experience, but please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list.
January 22-23, Burns Ceilidh Supper at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen
January 22-25, Robert Burns Weekend at the Ghillie Dhu in Edinburgh
January 22-30, Big Burns Supper in Dumfries
January 23, Perth Burns Annual Dinner at the Salutation Hotel in Perth
January 23, Big Burns Stramash, Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
January 23-24, Burns’s Birthday, in Mauchline, Ayrshire
January 23-25, Burnsfest at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
January 24, Burns Unbound, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
January 24, Burns Night Special, a fun, comedic event in Edinburgh and Glasgow
So don’t delay and start planning your ultimate Burns Night evening now. Hear the pipes calling? The countdown has begun!
For everything you need to know about Scotland’s most famous poet visit www.visitscotland.com/burns