Burns’s Cottage is in fact a classic Scottish but’n’ben with two rooms. On entering you first go through the area where the cattle would have been kept. It was very dark there and had mainly agricultural implements so I didn’t bother photographing it.

Living space. One room, very small, a few paces either way:-

Bed recess. The gowns represent the children who slept there:-

Since we were in the area we thought we’d have a look at Burns’s Cottage again – only this time we would go inside.

Cottage from road:-

Tam O’Shanter planter outside Burns’s Cottage, Alloway:-

Cottage from rear:-

Burn’s Cottage sign on Poet’s Path:-

This information board says how Burns’s father planned to develop the field beyond:-

In the field is this wicker sculpture of Burns’s most famous character, Tam O’Shanter, on his mare, Meg:-

Silhouettes in wall of field:-

I suddenly realised today that I hadn’t posted the photo of Alloway War Memorial that I took in early August. It’s set into the wall of the Public Hall more or less opposite Burns’s cottage. The upper area commemorates the Great War. The smaller plaque below is for World War 2.

Just to the side is a seat. I like the fact it is inscribed “Lest We Forget.”

After Culzean we came back via Alloway and of course came across this:-

Familiar not only from shortbread tins but tea towels, mugs, plates, memorabilia of all sorts.

And this is the rather more elaborate memorial to Scotland’s greatest poet than the house he was born in.

It was late when we got there and the memorial and the rather nice looking gardens surrounding it were both shut for the day. Between Burns’s Cottage and the Memorial there is a so-called Poet’s Path leading past a sports ground and every so often there are silhouettes like this in painted metal showing scenes from Burns’s poem Tam O’ Shanter.

The path leads down to opposite Auld Alloway Kirk. The building was derelict even when Robert Burns was a boy, reputed to be the haunt of ghoulies and ghosties and so became the inspiration for Tam O’ Shanter.

Burns’s father is buried there.*

With a Burns verse to him on the stone’s rear.

*Edited to add:- The grave is also that of Burns’s mother, here commemorated, in that old Scottish tradition, under her maiden name, Agnes Brown.