Burns Cottage

Burns Cottage, the first home of Robert Burns is located in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built by his father, William Burness in 1757. Burns, Scotland's national poet, was born there on 25 January 1759. It is a two-roomed clay and thatch cottage and has been fully restored to become part of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Burns Cottage
Burns Cottage is located in Scotland
Burns Cottage
Burns Cottage
Burns Cottage within Scotland
General information
TypeCottage
Town or cityAyr
CountryScotland
Coordinates55°25′58″N 04°38′06″W
Elevation23m
Completed1757

The museum has a bust of Burns by Patric Park.[1]

History

The cottage has had a number of uses, including a spell as a pub, run by a Mr Goudie from Riccarton who saw the opportunity to exploit Burns's developing reputation. [lower-alpha 1] At first therefore the cottage was not greatly valued. The Suffragettes recognised its importance, having once endeavoured to set the cottage alight.[3]

In 1818, the English poet John Keats took a trip to Scotland to visit the home, years after Burns' death in 1796. Before Keats arrived, he wrote to a friend that "one of the pleasantest means of annulling self is approaching such a shrine as the cottage of Burns — we need not think of his misery — that is all gone — bad luck to it — I shall look upon it all with unmixed pleasure."[4] but his encounter with the cottage's alcoholic custodian returned him to thoughts of misery.[5]

Pictures
  • Oldest known engraving, 1805
    Oldest known engraving, 1805
  • Bedroom
    Bedroom
  • Kitchen
    Kitchen
  • Plan and Elevation view
    Plan and Elevation view
  • Cross section
    Cross section
  • View of cottage with an addition, torn down in 1902
    View of cottage with an addition, torn down in 1902
  • Back of cottage in 1904, showing then-new museum building
    Back of cottage in 1904, showing then-new museum building
  • Interior of museum, 1904
    Interior of museum, 1904

See also

Burns Cottage (Atlanta), a reproduction of Burns' birthplace, built in 1911

References
  1. "Bust of Robert Burns by Patric Park, 1845". Burns Scotland. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  2. "Cottage for sale". Bell's Weekly Messenger. 25 November 1838. p. 4.
  3. Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London : Jenkins. P. 60
  4. Costa, Robert, "Keats’s House, Restored", article, The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2009, retrieved August 12, 2009
  5. Colvin, Sidney. John Keats.
  1. Cottage for Sale — The cottage in which the Ayrshire Bard, Robert Burns, was born, which has been for years a well frequented inn, now advertised for sale by the incorporation of shoemakers of Ayr, to whom the premises present belong.[2]

55.432812°N 4.633464°W / 55.432812; -4.633464

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