On January 25th, Scots all over the world will be celebrating Burns Night with a plate of haggis, tatties and neeps washed down with a dram of Scotch. Potatoes and turnips are the vegetables – don’t delve too deeply into the haggis!
There are lots of humorous cartoons showing haggis hunting in Scotland but it is really a savory pudding of sheep’s pluck. (It tastes better than it sounds.) Robert Burns wrote an Address to a Haggis, which is recited on Burns night when the dish is served to the accompaniment of the bagpipes.
Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard, was born in 1759 and his contribution to Scottish culture includes many poems still well known today. Auld Lang Syne is often sung today on Hogmanay and his love poems are quoted on Valentine’s Day, especially “My Love is like a red, red rose”.
Rabbie Burns has been commemorated by Royal Doulton on several occasions, most notably a very rare miniature figure by Ernest Light from 1923. Tam o’Shanter became a popular character jug and there are several Series ware patterns inspired by his poems. Perhaps George Tinworth knew his ode “To a Mouse” and the oft quoted adage, “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Man gang aft agley".

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