Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BURNS:
poet,
HUMANITARIAN & SKIRT CHASER
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor
Is king o' men for a' that
—Robert Burns,
A Man's a Man
for a' That
(1795)
Robert Burns (1759-96) continues to
hold a sentimental spot in the national
consciousness of Scotland. When the
new Scottish Parliament opened in 1999,
his
A Man's a Man for a' That
was sung.
In recent years, Ayrshire has begun to
host an annual music and cultural festi-
val,
Burns an' a' That
(www.burns
festival.com), to celebrate his life using
contemporary Scottish culture. The only
slightly surprising matter is why Scot-
land is reluctant to make
Auld Lang
Syne
—surely one of the most recog-
nized songs in the world—its national
anthem.
Born on a night so gusty that part of
the family cottage came down, he was
the son of a simple and pious gardener/
tenant farmer who nevertheless encour-
aged the boy to read and seek an edu-
cation. So Burns did learn to alliterate,
rhyme, and later compose lyrical poetry.
But he was, by trade, a hard-working if
largely unsuccessful farmer and ended
his life employed as a tax collector. Now
the world knows him as the author of
poetry, often set to song, and acclaimed
narrative masterpieces, such as
Tam
O'Shanter.
Of it one contemporary critic
wrote that Burns displayed “a power of
imagination that Shakespeare himself
could not have exceeded.” In his short
life, he wrote hundreds of poems and
songs.
But Burns was also a prodigious pur-
suer of women who fathered numerous
children, legitimate and otherwise. He
died at 37 of presumed heart disease in
the southern town of Dumfries, distin-
guished even then but resolutely desti-
tute. Almost immediately, however,
contributions to his widow and family
were made from across Scotland. Burns
was buried with some ceremony on the
very day that his wife Jean delivered
their ninth child.
20
cottage on the woodland estate. Dining at its highly rated Browne's @ Enterkine
restaurant can be a special treat. Menus emphasize local ingredients, whether sea-
sonal game or fish landed at nearby Troon.
Coylton Rd., Annbank KA6 5AL, about 8.5km (5
1
⁄
2
miles) east of Ayr, off the B742.
&
01292/520-580.
www.enterkine.com. Reservations required. Fixed-price lunch £19, dinner £30. Sun-Fri noon-2:30pm;
daily 7-9pm. 8 units. £210 double with breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar/
lounge; library.
In room:
TV, hair dryer.
Fairfield House
On the seafront at the edge of Ayr's Low Green, this Victorian
mansion/country home has been restored and converted into a four-star hotel. The
staff is attentive and, like at the Abbotsford, above, they will help you arrange tee
times at nearby golf courses. Rooms in the main building are decorated in a country-
house style, while a newer wing offers more modern decor.
12 Fairfield Rd., Ayr KA7 2AR.
&
01292/267-461.
Fax 01292/261-456. www.fairfieldhotel.co.uk. 44
units. £130 double with continental breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar;
health club; indoor pool; room service; sauna; spa.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, Internet.
Fouter's Restaurant
MODERN SCOTTISH In the heart of Ayr, this restaurant
occupies the cellar of an old bank, retaining the original stone floor and a vaulted
ceiling. The restaurant's name derives from the Scottish word used in the expression,
