First Minister Alex Salmond and newly appointed Scottish Makar Liz Lochhead celebrated the official launch of the National Trust for Scotland’s £21m Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire where Liz formally opened the museum on Friday 22nd January 2011.

The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum is the first major museum to open in Scotland in three years and was generously supported by the Scottish Government, the Heritage Lottery Fund, South Ayrshire Council and Scottish Enterprise in addition to thousands of private donors who contributed towards its creation.

Commenting on officially opening the new museum, Liz said: “It is a huge pleasure to officially open the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, which is such an asset to the further popular enjoyment of our so well-loved National Poet. His work is, was, and ever shall be, the greatest monument to him;  but his life of passion, pleasure, poverty and contradiction will never fail to fascinate, infuriate, challenge and engage with us, whether we’re young or old, scholar or ordinary enthusiast, Scot or citizen of somewhere else.”

The First Minister, who announced at the event that STV has commissioned Kenny Hunter to create a new piece of art for the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum said: “Burns is an international cultural icon, loved the world over. The new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum allows us the opportunity to celebrate his influence on the modern world and his contribution to Scotland’s culture and creativity.

“This major tourist attraction will bring a wealth of economic and cultural benefits to South Ayrshire and Scotland and bring to life the work of Robert Burns for this and future generations.

“The world renowned collection of important artefacts, including the Burns family Bible, original manuscripts and a miniature volume of verse that travelled 5.7 million miles to space, brings to life the story of the Bard using a variety of cutting edge techniques.

“The museum is a lasting legacy of our year of Homecoming which proved to be an enormously successful celebration of Burns and some of Scotland’s other great contributions to the world shaping science, innovation, energy, technology and culture.”

Kate Mavor, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland said: “We are delighted to officially launch the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum  which provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about the life of Robert Burns in a new and engaging way.”

Director of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Nat Edwards, said “It is fitting that a museum to mark the life and works of one of Scotland’s most loved poets is opened by another. Having Liz Lochhead perform her first official duty as Makar makes this historic occasion even more memorable. Both this opening and her appointment are clear signals of the fantastic energy of Scottish poetry today.”

The museum’s 500m2 exhibition space is made up of four  areas – ‘Identity’, ‘Inspiration’, ‘Fame’ and ‘Creative Works’ – addressing every aspect of Burns’ life through an innovative and thought-provoking interpretation that has been designed to appeal to visitors of all ages.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “Robert Burns is one of the most celebrated figures in Scottish culture. His enduring legacy and humanitarian values have introduced people in all corners of the world to Scotland’s heritage, the Scots language and to the unique living tradition of the Burns Supper. This is a proud day for all of us in Scotland as this wonderful new museum allows Alloway to take its proper place on the world’s stage as the focus for the understanding and celebration of the man.

“As a significant tourist destination that will bring visitors and income to the Scottish economy, the Burns Birthplace Museum is set to shed new light on our appreciation of a great national hero. We are delighted to have been able to support this important project.”

South Ayrshire Provost Winifred Sloan said: “This wonderful museum is the largest and most ambitious project the National Trust has ever undertaken and, when South Ayrshire Council was approached for support in this venture, we had no hesitation in committing to help drive it forward by donating land with a value of almost £3 million.

“The museum is a stunning achievement and is testament to the visionary thinking, enthusiasm and commitment of everyone involved. It refreshes the legacy of Robert Burns for the 21^st century and brings him to life for millions of people who can enhance their knowledge or simply learn about Burns for the first time – and all within a few yards of where he was born.”

The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum replaces what was formerly known as the Burns National Heritage Park to bring together all of the Alloway sites with a connection to Burns including the new 1,600m2 museum, the Burns Monument, Alloway Auld Kirk, Burns Cottage, an education pavilion and Auld Brig O’Doon. A new footbridge will also be created to link key sites to the new museum to make accessibility as easy as possible for visitors.

From the initial planning stages of the RBBM, the Trust was keen to ensure the Scots language would feature predominantly throughout the museum; aiming to position it as the leading museum destination for those looking to learn about the ‘mither tongue’. From Scots words engraved on the wall of the museum exterior to the descriptions of artefacts which are given in Scots in the exhibition – RBBM is the first museum to feature the language in this way and hopes to enrich each visitor’s understanding of the language.

Burns Birthplace Museum

Source: National Trust for Scotland