Follow in the footsteps of Scotland's Bard, the famous Robert Burns, a poet and lyricist whose works are known the world over. Make a round trip from Scotland's major cities and visit his birthplace in Alloway in Ayrshire and Dumfries in Dumfries & Galloway, where he spent the final years of his short life.
Things to see & do
In Alloway, discover where the wordsmith's story started at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. You can explore sites connected with Burns at Burns Cottage, Alloway Auld Kirk, Brig o'Doon and the Burns Monument.
Nearby, you can also visit the Bachelor's Club in Tarbolton, where Burns and his friends established a debating club, and Souter Johnnie's Cottage in Kirkoswald, the home of the real-life character who was immortalised in the Robert Burns poem Tam o' Shanter.
Head to Dumfries where you'll find the Robert Burns House, an unassuming sandstone building where Burns lived in the final years of his life where he penned some of his best known work. If you've got time, pay a visit to Dumfries Museum & Camera Obscura to get fantastic views of the town via the Victorian optical and find out about the local history. And when you get peckish or thirsty, head for the Globe Inn, a pub established in 1610 which was a favourite haunt of Burns.
Travel north to Auldgirth, on the outskirts of Dumfries to visit Ellisland Farm, which was his family home from 1788 - 1791. Now a museum, this picturesque spot on the River Nithis said to have inspired many of his nature poems.
Eating out
In Alloway, the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is home to the Bard's Bakery and Café, serving treats and hot snacks, including the great chieftain o' the pudding race, haggis! Dumfries' famous Globe Inn serves pub meals, but there's a whole range of eateries across the town, from homely Italian restaurants to modern bistros.
Getting there
From Glasgow, Alloway is less than an hour's journey by car following the M77/A77. Driving from Alloway to Dumfries takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes via the A713 and the A75. It takes roughly the same amount of time from Dumfries to Glasgow when taking the A74/M74.
