Burns Night

A Burns Night Supper is held to honour Robert Burns, the Scottish Poet, on  today January 25th. This is the anniversary of his birthday. He died in 1796 at the young age of 37 but has been celebrated as a great poet ever since.

When reading up about Burns Night I was wondering when the first ever Burns Club Supper took place in 1802. To my surprise it was in a place in Scotland called Greenock, that is not too far away from Glasgow. Now I know this place, it is in my heart. I have never been there or indeed know anybody there, well sort of, I know an ancestral memory. This is where my 4th Great Grandfather lived, Alexander Scott - a sugar refiner who did very well for himself. He wouldn't be born until 1810 but I bet as an adult he celebrated Burns Night and ate Haggis with neeps and tatties followed by a wee whisk.  He'd be most disappointed I'm sure that I'd be eating a vegetarian haggis.

Happy Burns Night, raise a glass and toast to the haggis!