Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

 

This evening, I am posting information on the famous Brig o’Doon at Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland.

 

Brig o’Doon is Scots- English for Bridge over the River Doon.

 

This bridge dates from the 1400s and no longer carries vehicular traffic. It as immortalised in the Robert Burns’ poem Tam O’Shanter where he (Tam) and Meg escape the clutches of the witch Nannie by galloping over the Brig o’Doon, leaving Nannie with nothing more than Meg’s tale.

 

The bridge has also lent its name to:

A visit to this bridge is essential for guests visiting Burns country. Close by is the Burns Monument and Burns Cottage.

 

Burns Cottage, Alloway, Ayrshire

 

This evening, I am focusing on the birthplace of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. This is located in the village of Alloway, south of Glasgow. It was here that Burns was born on Jan 25th 1759. His early years were spent here and influences from the immediate locality, such as the Brig o’Doon and Alloway Kirk found their way into his poetry.

 

The cottage was built by Burns father with his own hands in 1756. Burns called it ‘an ald, cley biggin’. It actually fell apart during a violent storm in 1759 and had to be rebuilt.

 

After the Burns family moved two miles away in 1766 the cottage and seven acres of cultivated land was let to various tenants until 1781 when it was sold to the Incorporation of Shoemakers in Ayr who let it out as an alehouse. Subsequently, the Alloway Monument Trustees rescued and restored the building to more or less its current state. The cottage is now under managemnt of the National Trust for Scotland and is a popular visitor attraction in the area.

 

 

 

Sailing, Firth of Forth, Scotland

 

This evening, I am focusing on the Firth of Clyde, S.W.Scotland. Firth is a Scottish word meaning bay or estuary which in this case means the broadening stretch of water where the River Clyde enters the sea. This area has a long history dating back to Roman times, has numerous castles dotted along the edges, was at the forefront of the Iindustrial Revolution but today is perhaps best known for activities such as sailing and as a cruise ship destination (Greenock). A summary of some of the more important places and sites is as follows: