Tour of Alloway

Starting from the south side of Alloway.

The 15th Century old Brig O Doon was made famous by the poet Robert Burns tale of Tam O Shanter. The poem tells of a local in the area that was returning from a day at the market in old Ayr. After having a few drinks, he passes by Alloway’s haunted Old Kirk (church) and stumbles across witches. In his desperate attempt to escape, he rides his grey mare Meg across this bridge hoping the witches would be reluctant to cross the water. Although Tam escapes their clutches, Meg looses her tail to the grasp of a witches hand.

Large Image . Large Image from the New Bridge

Left is a view from the old Brig O Doon looking towards the new bridge and Brig O Doon Hotel gardens.The new bridge was completed in 1816 to replace the Auld Brig as the main route into Alloway.
Large front image of Hotel.

The Burns Monument and Memorial Gardens designed by Thomas Hamilton, as seen to the right of the hotel, were completed in 1823 with the gardens opening to the public on the 4th July of that year. The gardens also contain statues of Tam O Shanter and Souter Johnnie. About 50,000 people visit the gardens each year.

More Information * Large Image.

Alloway Auld Kirk, built in 1516, is situated about 50 yards north of the Brog O Doon hotel. This is where Robert Burns had his father buried. The headstone, as seen right, is not the original as damage by souvenir hunters meant it had to be replaced.

Alloway Parish Church, built in 1858, is situated directly across the road from the Auld Kirk.

Large Image of William Burns Headstone * Large Side Image

Behind Alloway Parish Church is the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. This modern visitor centre with large car park has a licensed restaurant, gift shop and a theatre that shows short films every hour about the life of Robert Burns.

The Burns Museum is open daily. Admission charges to the museum are about adults £8 / children £5. The gift shop and restaurant are free to visit.
www.burnsmuseum.org.uk . Map/Reviews.

After returning to Alloway Main Street, about one quarter of a mile further on, you reach Burns Cottage with parking to the rear.

William Burness built this cottage in 1757. He had moved from Kincardineshire to Alloway in 1750 to work as a gardener in the neighbouring Doonholm Estate.

Robert was the first of seven children born to William Burness and his wife Agnes Broun in the cottage January 25th 1759. In time, their eldest son became Scotland’s most famous poet.

Robert Burns has remained a favourite of the Scottish people as his life saw him stay in many parts of the country. This means there are buildings and monuments throughout Scotland that have been preserved in his name and become part of Scotland’s history. Also, he was the father of 12 children to 4 different women; this also adds interest to his life.

The Burness family left the cottage in 1765 to take up a 12-year lease of the nearby farm ‘Mount Oliphant’. From there, Robert attended a small school in Alloway. By 1777, the family had taken up a lease of Lochlea farm in the parish of Tarbolton, about 8 miles north of Alloway. William Burness died at Lochlea in February 1784, leaving Robert as head of the family.The Bachelors' Club in the village of Tarbolton has been preserved by the National Trust as it was where Robert Burns took dancing lessons and formed his debating club in the upper room.

Robert and his brother Gilbert then rented Mossgiel farm at Mauchline, about 4 miles north of Tarbnolton. Robert met his future wife Jean Armour in Mauchline 1785. He wrote some of his finest works at that time and began to earn a small income from their sales. It is thought he changed his name to Burns during that period.

In about 1786, Robert fell in love with Highland Mary who worked at Coilsfield Castle & Estate, situated on the outskirts of Tarbolton. Burns referred to Coilsfield Castle as Montgomery Castle, the name of the owners. Robert and Mary intended to emigrate to the West Indies around that time. Mary died soon after from a fever, this seeing Robert decide to remain in Scotland. Robert returned to Jean Armour soon after, they were officially married in Mauchline 1788. Coilsfield Castle was replaced by Coilsfield House in about 1804, that house was destroyed by fire in 1969. The walled garden of the estate now serves as a lodge and caravan park under the name Middlemuir Heights.

In 1788, Robert Burns and Jean Armour moved to the farm of Ellisland in the parish of Dumfries about 50 miles souteast of Mauchline. By 1791, he had taken up residence in Dumfries itself and lived there until his death July 21st 1796, aged 37. His death was atrributed to either Rheumatic Heart Disease or alcoholism. He was buried in St Michael’s Churchyard Dumfries on the day his wife Jean was giving birth to their ninth child. Burns Night is an annual celebration held throughout Scotland on January 25th, the anniversary of his birth.

Many Robert Burns descendants were captured on photograph. See: sites.scran.ac.uk/robertburns/descendants/

Guided tours of Alloway and Ayr by Donald Kay focus on Robert Burns old haunts. Visit these historic places and learn how they inspired Burns to write some of his most memorable works. For more information, visit the website www.walkaboutayr.com Phone: 00 44 (0)1292 287765 Mobile: 07867 510 165 Email: donald@walkaboutayr.com

Right, Souter Johnnie’s Cottage is situated on the main street in the small village of Kirkoswald, approximately 13 miles south of Ayr.

This cottage, built in 1785, was the home of John Davidson, the local souter (Scots for shoemaker). Davidson became the character Johnnie Souter who was Tam’s drinking partner in Burns famous poem Tam O Shanter.

Burns got to know Davidson when at sixteen years old; he spent the summer of 1775 at a school in Kirkoswald learning mathematics. The cottage is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is open to the public from April 1st - September 30th 11.30 - 17.00, admission about £5.50 per adult. The cottage contains period furniture, Burns relics, a souters workshop and alehouse. The alehouse has life-sized figures of Tam O Shanter, Souter, the Innkeeper and his wife. See also Mauchline for more on Robert Burns. Map/Directions. Website: www.nts.org.uk/Property/54/

There is now a large inn and tee room in Kikoswald next to Souter Johnnie's Cottage named The House of Burns, one of Ayrshire's most popular, website: www.houseofburns.com.