Category Archives: Dumfries and Galloway

Rabbie Burns – Pt 5 A Legend in his Own Lifetime

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Rabbie Burns - Pt 5 A Legend in his Own Lifetime

Having left his socially superior friends in Edinburgh behind, Rabbie had now retuned to country life back in his native south-west Scotland and settled down with Jean Armour and the family  for a peaceful life in the sticks – or at least that was what he was probably hoping for.

Success in this latest chapter of his life was mixed. On the one hand, his burgeoning reputation in literary circles showed no signs of abating after the publication of Tam o’ Shanter, but life on the farm wasn’t getting any easier, and then there was the added complication of leaving behind a human souvenir every time he bumped into one of the local lassies – the latest victim being Anna Park, a barmaid at the Globe Inn in Dumfries.

One of the reasons that he was frequently seen propping up the bar in the Globe was because he had taken a job as an exciseman in the town as a way to diminish his financial problems back on the farm, but spending the extra cash on a wee dram or two and encouraging the barmaid to provide another mouth to feed doesn’t seem to be the best way of using those extra resources I wouldn’t have thought.

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Originally posted 2023-08-18 14:52:49.

Rabbie Burns – Pt 4 Ellisland and Tam o’ Shanter

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Rabbie Burns - Pt 4 Ellisland and Tam o' Shanter

For the two years Rabbie lived in Edinburgh, he mixed with high society, but deep down, the ‘Ploughman Poet’ was still a country boy at heart with views that often differed from those of the establishment, and on 23rd February 1788 he moved out of the capital for good.

As we know, while he was there, he popped back to Ayrshire every so often, if only to keep the population figures up. Jean Armour had given birth to twins in September 1786, and now she was expecting another set, which her father, James, wasn’t exactly ecstatic about. At least the first time around he packed her off to a relative in Greenock out of the way, but this time he kicked her out altogether.

When Rabbie found her destitute he made sure that she had somewhere to stay, and on 3rd March she gave birth to two girls, neither of whom survived to the end of the month. As for the first set of twins, Jean died in infancy while Rabbie was in Edinburgh, and Robert Burns Junior went to live with the poet’s family at Mossgiel Farm.

So how did James Armour react when Rabbie re-appeared back on the scene? If you remember, he wanted him slung in jail the first time he messed around with Jean, and now he’s been at it again, but strangely enough, the poet’s new-found celebrity status seemed to have had a calming effect on him, and the next thing we know he’s giving his blessing for the couple to get married – and on 5th August 1788 they tied the knot in Mauchline – this time officially.

Burns had already decided to return to farming, and after consulting with a trusted friend, he took out a lease on the 170 acre Ellisland Farm, which was located on the banks of the River Nith, about 44 miles south-east of Mauchline and 7 miles north-west of Dumfries (in the adjacent historic county of Dumfriesshire, but now part of Dumfries and Galloway).

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Originally posted 2023-08-13 15:05:53.

Scotland’s Solway Coast and the Rhins of Galloway

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Scotland's Solway Coast and the Rhins of Galloway

Like so many travellers, I’ve often been guilty of rushing past this quiet corner of Scotland in search of the country’s more celebrated attractions further north, but several years ago I decided that it was about time we turned left at the Scottish border to take a steady drive along the Solway Coast to the Rhins of Galloway and find out what we’ve been missing.

From what I can see of it nothing much has changed around here since we visited, but one thing I’d better mention is that we didn’t drive along here all in one day, as the route I’ve described would take at least four hours without stops; and although it might be possible, I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to enjoy the area properly.

Naturally, I wasn’t expecting the same jaw-dropping scenery that the Highlands can offer, but I already knew from experiences elsewhere, that the Lowlands of Scotland have an appeal of their own, but in a much more subtle way.

Immediately after crossing the border into Scotland is Gretna Green, the famous runaway wedding location, where most first-time visitors will want to stop – even if they don’t intend getting spliced. Having been here before, I was keen to move on because I think it’s one of those places that, unless your name’s Henry VIII, you only want to visit once, and so we carried on along the ‘B’ roads towards Caerlaverock instead.

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Originally posted 2019-10-15 12:41:06.