What Burns means to me.

Growing up in Dumfries. My Father’s middle name. Burns Mineral Water Works, Peter Burns the town herbalist, Burns house, Burns Street, Burns statue, The Auld Brig museum, Burns Mausoleum, St Michael’s Kirkyard, the Black Death, plague graves and grave robbers.

Burns commemorative stamps in 1966. Laurieknowe Primary School and Burns by heart. Southwestern speak. Ca’ The Yowes, My Love Is Like A Red, Red, Rose, To A Mouse, To A Louse. The Observatory, the murderer’s clogs, the drowned man’s skull, Sawney Bean and Tam O’Shanter. Bogles.

Ellisland Farm. Shooting pigeons in winter stubble near Auldgirth. Fishing the Cluden Water, Nith and Solway. Sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beasties.

Pints and McKerrows in The Globe. Guid Nychburris and riding his countryside. The Deil's Awa Wi' Th' Exciseman among Georgian streets and soft red stone.

Leaving for Glasgow. The Trongate and Gallowgate. The Griffin and the Sarrie Heid. The Merchant City and Graven Images. Timorous Beasties’ Burns Suppers. Rovin’ Scottish mafia in far-flung places. Haggis in Wellington, Hong Kong and Helsinki.

Then moving to Ayrshire. Burns Cottage, Souter Johnnie’s, thatched roofs, Cassillis and Culzean. NVA at Alloway. Farming and ploo horses. The dirty hole called Minibole. Machline and Tarbolton. Sweet Afton and the Banks O’ Doon. The Batchelors Club and The Jolly Beggars. Burns country, cookery, smokery and B&B. Burns

sausage supper, Hogmanay and whisky. Our immortal memory. Auld Lang Syne.

Janice Kirkpatrick - Professor designer and writer

Text © Janice Kirkpatrick

other images - Ross and Tweeter, Janice and Joe

Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg,
And win the key-stane o' the brig ;
There at them thou thy tail may toss,
A running stream they dare na cross.
But ere the keystane she could make,
The fient a tail she had to shake !
For Nannie, far before the rest,
Hard upon noble Maggie prest,
And flew at Tam wi’ furious ettle ;
But little wist she Maggie’s mettle -
Ae spring brought off her master hale
Bur left behind her ain grey tail :
The carlin claught her by the rump,
And left poor Maggie scarce a stump.

Robert Burns