36 — Sunday, January 24, 1999 — North Shore News north shore news 42 TRAVEL Ww a wg onnie year for Scotland Andrew McCredie Editor andrew@nsnews.com The Rabbie File © Robert Burns was born on Jan, 25, 1739 in Alloway, Ayrshire, to William Burness, a poor tenant farmer, and Agnes Broun, Robert Burns was the eldest of seven; @ His interest in writing in Scottish was prompted by his mother who sang to her children in “auld” Scots; ® Burns’ first verse was penned at the age of 15; © In his locality Burns was known as a skilled seducer of women, and less forthcom- ing friends beseeched him to help them in the style of Cyrano de Bergerac by wooing their latest flames; © Auld Lang Syne? was originally set to a different tune but) othe — publisher rejected it so Burns set it to the one commonly sung today, which the Japanese claim as their tune; 7 ¢ Burns re-wrote the last stanza of To a Haggis. The first ering storm, version. Was even more nationalistic in: spirit and ended: Nursing ber wrath to keep it 5 aie “And on our hoards, that king o° food, A gude Scorch warn, : Haggis!”; —— opening lines of Robert Karen McCredie photos ¢ In 1786, he planned to emigrate to the West Indies. Burns’ Tam O'Shanter THE northern Scottish town of Wick is a good base from which to explore Caithness. However, his Kilmarnock edition was newly published and When chapman billies teave the street, Aud drouthy nechars, necbors micet; As market-days are wearing lau, An folk deqin to tak the gate; While we sit bousing at the nappy, An getting fou and unco happy. We think na on the lang Scots miles, The mosses, waters, slaps, and styles, Thar lie between us and our hbame, Whare sits our sulky, sullen dame, Gathering her brows like gath- WITH Burn’s Day but The above photo was taken from the second floor of MacKay’s Hotel (below). its success put paid to his travel plans; © Burns died aged 37 of heart disease exacerbated by the hard manual work he undertook when he was young; ¢ On the day Burns was buried, July, 25 1796, his wife Jean was giving birth cto the last of his children, Maxwell Burns; * Also on that day more than 10,000 people came to watch and pay their respects to the poet; ° There is a statue of Robert Burns in Vancouver's Stanley Park and in New York’s Central Park; ¢ Sir Walter Scott said of Burns’ famous love song, Arc Fond Kiss, that, “it was the essence of a thousand love tales.”; © Wordsworth and Keats have paid homage in words and actions to Burns, both of whom visited his final resting place. one sleep away, many people have Scotland on the mind. Thar’s 2 good thing since 1999 is shaping up to be a memorable year in the life of the ancient country. In May Scotland takes another impor- tant step towards self-rule with the Scottish Parliament. clec- tions. The plan is to have the new Parliament fully opera- tional by the spring of 2000. (On a timely nute, Burns was a strong advocate of Scortish independence). And for visitors. this year will be long remembered as the year Glasgow was the toast of the British Isles. The city is the. 1999 UK City of Architecture and Design, and the year-long program features more than 200 events. The city has buile innovative new architecture for the 12- month celebration, created imaginstive public spaces and restored Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s former Herald building in Mitchell Street. 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