Ayr & Alloway

After leaving Ecclefechan we drove to Ayr on the seaside where we saw the Burns statue. 

Statue of Burns in Ayr

 And then we went to the Burns sites in Alloway:  the four-room cottage which Burns’ father built and where Burns was born, and the Burns museum. 
Burns Cottage

First room - living area/kitchen/bedroom

Bed in living room

2 sets of twins born at the cottage: Burns survived

Second room - could have been for sleeping

Third room - stables (fourth room was for farm storage)

Burns Museum

Cast of Burns' skull

Burns' pistols as exciseman

Burns report card

Burns was a supporter of the Scots language

A note from Munroe

Ellisland Farm

During our visit to Dumfries we went in the afternoon to the farm where Burns and his family lived for three years.  Burns was given the farm and £300 to build a house by one of his supporters who lived near by.   Burns had the choice of three farms, but being the romantic selected the prettiest site beside the Nith River.  However it was not good land for farming.  Burns had a house built, moved the family there from near Ayr, and ploughed the fields.  It was not working out so Burns became an exciseman, spending many hours on horseback collecting taxes.  It was here that Burns wrote “Scott wa hae,”  “Auld Lang sang,  and “He’s a man for all that.”  They were at the farm for three years before moving to Dumfries.

Pathway down to River Nith

Where Burns walked while writing Tam O'Shanter

Dumfries

During an outing to Dumfries to do research at the Family History Centre, we were so surprised and delighted to find that Dumfries was quite a centre of Robbie Burns life.  We crossed over the 14^th century bridge to visit the Burns museum in the old mill.  

14th Century bridge in Dumfries

View of Dumfries from old bridge

Burns museum in old mill

Then on to see the churchyard containing a mausoleum with the remains of Burns, his wife and two children.  

St. Michael's Church, Dumfries

St. Michael's Churchyard

Burns mausoleum

Burns tomb

Nearby we visited Burns statue, Jean Armour statue and the house where the family lived during the final years of Burns’ life.

Burns House

Kitchen/family ara

Burns bed

Burns bedroom

Burns study

Burns writing etched with diamond stylus

We had lunch at The Globe, a tiny hotel dating back to 1610.  This was Burns’ favorite home away from home.  While staying there he had an affair with a bar maid who later had a child.

Lane to The Globe

The bar at The Globe

Raising a glass to The Bard

Later we walked past another of Burns' haunts, a pub called Hole in the Wall.

Hole in the Wall

Entrance to Hole in the Wall

Plaque outside pub

Another plaque outside pub