In October we spent a couple of nights away in Ayrshire, Jack had a football match to go to and we also wanted to visit Dumfries House, but we also managed to squeeze in a visit to Robert Burns’s Cottage, his birthplace in Alloway, the last time we were there it was shut so I had never been inside before. The photo above is the front of the house, right on the main road. Robert Burns was born here in 1759.
The photo below is the back of the cottage, the left hand side would have been where the animals were housed in the past.
I was shocked at how small the cottage is. It’s quite expensive to visit this place and I was thinking it was way overpriced, but I hadn’t realised that the entrance fee also included entry to a nearby Burns museum and it took us a long time to look around that, so it was well worth the cost – and the cafe was good!
The three photos above are of the living/dining/ bedroom. It’s a very small room with a bed recess and the four wee gowns represent the children who shared the bed apparently, however there’s only one bed in the place so I suspect everyone piled in this, or some were on the floor, otherwise they must have had another bed in the other room in those days.
Below is the kitchen/living room.
About three or four steps in either direction is the length and breadth of these rooms, I suppose they would have been cosy, especially with the heat from the animals who were housed in the other side of the cottage. This is a clay and thatch cottage which was built by his father in 1757. It took us about five minutes to look around this cottage, it’s so small and if anyone else is in a room you are in it’s crowded. I’m not sure about the pieces of his poetry which have been written on some of the walls and furniture, it sort of detracts from the historic feel of the place I think, no doubt others would disagree.
We didn’t have time to look around the area this time, but we did that on a previous visit, when the cottage was shut, it’s a really lovely area you can see a previous blogpost here.
Easier to heat a small cottage, I suppose!
I’ve been invited to a Robert Burns tea party. I ordered a Scottish Cook Book from the library so I can bring something appropriate but maybe should have just asked you! Going to pick it up today.
Constance,
A tea party is not what we first think of when we think of Burns! However, shortbread is very traditional, tasty and easy to bake, if you give it a go make sure that you don’t overbake it, it should be blond rather than brown.
A Burns Supper, on his birthday 25th of January involves his poetry, songs, and a supper of ‘haggis, neeps and tatties’ that is haggis, turnips and potatoes – and a lot of whisky!
I think she felt we all live too far from her for a supper! Shortbread is too easy! (famous last words). I think I could do some potato concoction but not turnips, unless I put one in for show. Not sure I even know what turnips look like except don’t some people carve them the way we do pumpkins?
I expect there will be Haggis and whiskey but neither is to my taste. I did do a whiskey shot on Dorothy Dunnett Day, however, now that I think about it.
Constance,
Turnips are large, hard purplish coloured with yellow insides and take a long time to soften when you boil them, then you mash them up with lots of butter. Confusingly this is the type that English people call swedes, but to Scots swedes are the small white ones.
I’m not a fan of whisky and prefer veggie haggis to the real thing.
You could always do scones!