Burns, Beats and a Scottish Banquet

Scotland’s winter festivities extend beyond the New Year to Burns Night on<strong> 25 January</strong> – the birthday of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard. 

There’s no experience quite like a Burns Night celebration; locals and visitors alike can soak up some Scottish culture, indulge in the traditional dish of haggis, neeps and tatties and natter over a warming dram of whisky at one of the many Burns Night celebrations taking place this year.  

Whether toasting virtually at home or heading out to a local event, anyone can join in the celebrations this Burns Night, anywhere in the world. 

2022 is Scotland’s Year of Stories and the Themed Year will spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland. Robert Burns composed some of the world’s most instantly recognisable lines of poetry and song, so what better way to kick off the Year of Stories than with a celebration of one of Scotland’s most iconic storytellers?  

Burns Night events in 2022 

The world-famous Celtic Connections returns with a programme of events to celebrate traditional folk, roots, Americana, jazz and soul music. As well as showcasing exceptional musical talent, performances including exhibitions, film screenings and talks are expected to take place across Glasgow. Although the Omicron variant has meant the festival will not be held on the scale originally hoped, a form of the festival which brings the connection and joy of Celtic Connections to audiences, while being both feasible and safe for all involved, will be presented.   Ticket prices vary. To see the full programme of events and to book online, go to Celtic Connections - Home 

For something a little different, The Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow is celebrating Burns Night with an evening of top comedy featuring the best comics on the contemporary Scottish circuit, alongside traditional Scottish fayre. Seasoned headliners join forces with the newest kids on the comedy block to bring lots of belly laughs!  

Tickets are priced between £8 and £10pp. To book online, please visit The Best of Scottish Comedy Burns Night Special - The Stand Comedy Club 

Once again, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic attractions, The Royal Yacht Britainnia, will be hosting its annual Burns Supper on board. On either 28 or 29 January, guests will experience a delicious five course meal that showcases the finest Scottish ingredients. Traditional Scottish music will be played throughout the dinner and the traditional ‘Address to a Haggis’ will be followed with a whisky tasting in the State Drawing Room. The evening is also bolstered by a glamorous red-carpet entrance, a drinks and canapé reception and a tour of The Royal Yacht Britannia – certainly a special evening fit for royalty. 

Tickets are priced at £215pp. For more information and to book online, please go to Burns Supper | Official The Royal Yacht Britannia 

The Ghosting of Rabbie Burns will be staged live at the Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling. Featuring the great poems and songs of Burns such as ‘My Love is Like a Red Red Rose, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ and, of course, ‘Auld Land Syne’, visitors can expect a hilarious comedy that proves love and relationships haven’t changed that much in 200 years after all! 

Tickets are priced from £19.50. For more information and to book online, please visit The Ghosting of Rabbie Burns at Macrobert Arts Centre  

In the market town of Dumfries, Cairndale Hotel & Leisure Club plays host a traditional Burns Supper complete with music, poetry and dancing for a memorable evening of toe-tapping entertainment. Featuring Claire Hastings, former BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year, as well as a spectacular array of performers, guests can celebrate the national poet’s birthday in song and style.  Tickets are priced at £35, or 2 nights DBB for £149. For more information, visit Burns Night Cairndale Hotel. To book please call 01387 254 111.<strong> </strong> 

On 22 January, Barony Castle Hotel is inviting guests to indulge in a traditional three course Burns Supper featuring quality local produce, then lace up the dancing shoes for an evening of live music from the spectacular Scoundrels. Putting their best foot forward, guests will be able to <em>strip the willow</em> and <em>do-si-do</em> the night away before settling down in one of the hotel’s elegant rooms. Tickets are priced at £90pp, including an overnight stay and full Scottish breakfast.  

Alternatively, on the bard’s birthday, Barony Castle Hotel will be hosting a Burns Night Dinner starring delicious, locally sourced Scottish dishes. A piper will accompany the haggis as it is paraded into the hall, followed by the ‘Address to a Haggis’. A Ceilidh and energetic live music from the Sultans of Fling will draw guests onto the dancefloor for a fantastic party atmosphere for all ages. Tickets are priced at £45pp. 

For more information visit Burns Night - Saturday 22nd January 2022 | Barony Castle Hotel, and to book tickets please email events@baronycastle.com or call 01721 730 395. 

Scotland’s former Makar Jackie Kay, the country’s National Poet from 2016-2021, takes to the stage of St Margaret’s Braemar. The ‘in conversation’ event, chaired by renowned singer and broadcaster Fiona Kennedy, will delve into the fascinating life and work of the captivating Scottish poet, playwright and novelist whose works have featured in over thirty literary collections. On the eve of Burns Night in Braemar — a village steeped in connections from Robert Louis Stevenson to Nan Shepherd — where better to hear from one of Scotland’s living literary greats. 

Tickets are priced from £6. For further details and to book tickets online, visit St. Margaret’s Braemar (stmargaretsbraemar.org.uk) 

Beaufort Hotel plays host to Burns Ceilidh Night with BlackRock Ceilidh Band, featuring a four-piece line up with three vocalists, guitar, accordion, mandolin, small pipes, bagpipes, sax, bass and drums – a show that is sure to get guests up on the dance floor! 

Tickets are priced at £10pp. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Burns Ceilidh Night with BlackRock Ceilidh Band Tickets | Beaufort Hotel Inverness 

Burns Night virtual events in 2022 

Eddi Reader’s Big Burns Supper is this year’s unmissable Burns Night celebration taking place online on 25 January 2022. Hosted by the supremely talented Eddi, alongside superstar Scots KT Tunstall, Skerryvore and Tidelines, this year’s line-up of both big names and local talent spans the full spectrum of music, comedy, poetry, performance, and prose, and is not to be missed. Comedy circuit stars Ross Leslie and Richard Pulsford join homegrown musical talent from the likes of Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5, Sean Focus ‘Live’, Amy Papiransky, Dumfries Community Choir, David Bass & Chazz, The Lucky Doves and Jack Hunter, and Scottish TV presenter and of former captain of Glasgow Wheelchair basketball team Mark Dougan is even set to make an appearance. 

The event will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube and is free to attend. Sign up for the event here. For more information visit Big Burns Supper – Winter Fringe Festival  

Hosted by DJ and TV presenter Edith Bowman, guests can expect an electric night of music, song, poetry, whisky and heaps of Scottish banter streamed live from Burns Cottage at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire. There will be live music from folk singer Siobhan Miller, folk show Nae Plans and more, a whisky cocktail masterclass and exclusive insights into the life of Robert Burns. Attendees can also purchase a ‘Box of Braw’ for two, filled with treats from iconic Scottish brands. 

Household tickets start at £18. This event will be streamed live on the website. Book tickets now at Burns Big Night In - Burns Night filled with music, poetry, celebrities, and entertainment from Burns Birthplace. All profits raised will go towards supporting the charity. The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is also offering 50% off tickets until 18 February through Scotland’s Great Days Out. See Scotland’s Great Days Out Special Offers | VisitScotland for more information. 

Edinburgh’s flagship Burns celebration Burns&Beyond returns for a 4th year, presenting a feast of online music, spoken word, food and whisky to help you celebrate the Bard in style. The spectacular art installation Les Colombes at St. Giles’ Cathedral will now take place in March. To show the strength and power of Edinburgh as a community, people can add their own paper Dove to be flown as part of the installation. 

For more information and for full programme details, go to Home - Burns & Beyond :Burns & Beyond (burnsandbeyond.com) 

Attendees can dance the night away to a live Ceilidh Band (with demonstration dancers), listen to contributions from celebrated musicians and enjoy the ceremony itself all from the comfort of their own home. Donning the tartan is highly encouraged!   

The virtual event will be streamed live on YouTube and is free to attend, with donations to support the broadcast and wider programme of Nest Collective. Secure tickets at Burns Night: Online - The Nest Collective

The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award is an award presented annually at the time of Robert Burns birthday to a group or individual who has saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through self-sacrifice, selfless service, hands-on charitable or volunteer work, or other humanitarian acts. The winner receives the equivalent of 1759 Guineas – a sum which signifies the year of the Bard’s birth and the coinage in circulation at that time – equating to £1,800 in today’s currency. 

The winner will be announced on Tuesday 25th January via an online ceremony. Further details will be available shortly at Robert Burns Humanitarian Award - South Ayrshire Council 

Follow in Burns’ footsteps 

2022 is the Year of Stories, a celebration of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland. Fans of the Bard can experience the poems and songs that the spectacular Scottish landscapes inspired, explore real-life locations and uncover a wealth of stories connected to Rabbie Burns himself on a trip to Scotland. 

The romantic ruins and bonnie villages of Ayrshire inspired many of Burns’ masterpieces. A visit to the beautiful village of Alloway will uncover what Burns’ life was like back in the 18th century. There is the thatched cottage where Burns was born and a walk along Poet’s Path leading to a series of weathervanes that tell the story of Tam o’Shanter, as well as the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum where it is possible to take a special behind the scenes tour to see the original first draft of Auld Lang Syne. Other nearby Burns attractions include the Bachelors’ Club in Tarbolton (open 9 April-30 September 2022) and Burns House Museum in Mauchline. 

In fact, connections to Burns scatter the surrounding area. Perched majestically on the Ayrshire cliff, not too far from Maybole where Burns’ parents met, is Culzean Castle (open 1 April 2022). Erected in Burns’ time, visitors can roam the extensive grounds and even stay the night in one of the five impressive suites. South of the castle lies Kirkoswald, home to the “ancient, trusty, drouthy crony” Souter Johnnie who was immortalised in Tam o’Shanter.  

Slowing down and taking in the beauty of the sea, rivers and mountains on a Whisky & Burns cycling tour through Dumfries & Galloway is the perfect way for visitors to savour traditional food and drink whilst learning about Scotland’s national poet. Along the route in Dumfries, tour groups can discover the pleasures of whisky once enjoyed by the bard himself in The Globe Inn, one of the country’s oldest hostelries, and draw up a seat at Burns’ very own dining table, surrounded by artefacts and memories. Fans can follow the town’s Burns trail to Robert Burns House where he spent the last years of his life and see original manuscripts and personal belongings. 

Named the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature, Edinburgh is renowned for its connection to great literary figures, and Robert Burns is no exception. On 28 November 1786 when Burns arrived in Edinburgh its gates were flung open to him. On the Royal Mile, visitors can find a plaque dedicated to Burns near the entrance to Lady Stair’s Close. 

The close contains Makars’ Court, an evolving national literary monument celebrating Scottish writers from the 14th century up to the present day, where famous words have been inscribed into the flagstones. While in Edinburgh, fans of Burns will be able to see one of the most famous portraits of Robert Burns at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, painted by friend and renowned Scottish artist Alexander Nasmyth. 

Eat out or prepare your own 

Many restaurants are offering their own Burns Suppers, including Blackfriars, Deacon Brodies Tavern, Edinburgh School of Food & Wine and Whiski Bar & Restaurant. 

Or host your own. All that’s needed for the perfect Burns Night is haggis, neeps, tatties, great company…and some Scottish whisky, of course! Follow these instructions to prepare and host the perfect gathering on 25 January. 

*Suggestions include: 

Scottish bagpiper Laura Marshall, check out: https://www.louisemarshallpiper.com/videos.html 

A Burns Night playlist – curated by VisitScotland – is available on Spotify here: VisitScotland Presents: Burns Night Party - playlist by VisitScotland | Spotify 

Scotland is gradually reopening as restrictions ease and new measures are put in place to ensure everyone’s safety. However, we continue to live in uncertain times and so, while we are delighted to be providing our media with a regular update once more, we ask that responsible travel is considered paramount for anyone planning a trip to Scotland.  

• Certain measures and restrictions remain in places across Scotland, for more details visit  [https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/](https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/)  
• All visitors to Scotland must consult the Scottish Government website at [www.gov.scot](http://www.gov.scot/), VisitScotland’s website [www.visitscotland.com](http://www.visitscotland.com/), the local destination website and contact their accommodation providers, transport providers and any attractions they plan to visit to ensure they are aware of all rules, restrictions and safety procedures relating to Covid-19.  
• We recommend that visitors look for the [Good to Go logo.](https://www.visitscotland.com/about/practical-information/good-to-go-scheme/) This is a new industry-wide standard and consumer mark developed to demonstrate that the business has completed a Covid-19 risk assessment to ensure they have everything in place to open safely.  
• International visitors should check current quarantine and [government-imposed travel restrictions.](https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/exemptions/) 
• It is advised that those planning on travelling to a Scottish island take a coronavirus test in advance of their trip. Further details can be found [here](https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/pages/no-covid-symptoms/).   
• When visiting Scotland we urge visitors to enjoy our fabulous country responsibly. VisitScotland encourages visitors to respect local communities and plan ahead with the help of [www.visitscotland.com](http://www.visitscotland.com/). Helpful guidance can be found in VisitScotland’s new [Visitor Charter](https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/advice/coronavirus-recovery/visitor-charter) and the [Scottish Outdoor Access Code](http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/), which offers practical advice for all to #RespectProtectEnjoy Scotland’s beautiful countryside.  
• Find out more about responsible tourism [here](https://www.visitscotland.com/about/responsible-tourism/).   
• Step forward and tread lightly, find a link to the Scotland is calling ‘tread lightly’ film: [https://www.visitscotland.com/campaign/tread-lightly/](https://www.visitscotland.com/campaign/tread-lightly/)  

• Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 will spotlight, celebrate and promote the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland.  
• Led by VisitScotland, the Year of Stories 2022 will sustain and build upon the momentum of preceding Themed Years, showcasing a nationwide programme of major events and community celebrations.   
• From icons of literature to local tales, Scotland’s Year of Stories encourages locals and visitors to experience a diversity of voices, take part in events and explore the places, people and cultures connected to all forms of our stories, past and present.   
• Scotland’s Year of Stories will encourage responsible engagement and inclusive participation from the people of Scotland and our visitors.  
• Join the conversation using #YS2022 and #TalesOfScotland.   
• Following an industry consultation, Themed Years will take place every second year to enable more time for planning and collaboration. The next Themed Year will take place in 2024.