
Robert Burns cottage (approx 3 miles)
Burns Cottage stands on the main road through the village of Alloway. The cottage and the nearby Education Pavilion come under the umbrella of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, this magnificent museum is well worth a visit in its own right, and it also brings brings together all the places associated with Robert Burns in Alloway. These include Brig o’ Doon, Auld Kirk Alloway, and theBurns Monument and Memorial Garden.
Burns Cottage has its own car park, or can be reached by a few minutes walk from the main Robert Burns Birthplace Museum along the attractive Poet’s Path. En route you pass the exceedingly large statue of a mouse, sculpted by Kenny Hunter, and a series of weathervanes telling the story of Robert Burns’, greatest poem, Tam o’ Shanter, which was set in Alloway and published in 1791.
The highlight of any visit to this end of the village is a tour of Burns Cottage. This was built in 1757 by William Burnes, Robert’s father (Robert and his brother later changed the spelling of the family name to Burns, which is what is shown on their father’s grave in the kirkyard of Auld Kirk Alloway). Robert Burns was born in the cottage on 25 January 1759 and spent the first seven years of his life here before the growing family moved to a larger house a mile and a half south east of Alloway.
Travel back in time and visit the Burns family. Walk in the footsteps of Tam O Shanter in Alloway Auld Haunted Kirk and across Auld Brig O Doon where Tams mare Meg had her Narrow escape from the witches.
www.robertburns.org/