Celebrating 200 years of the Burns Monument

The etching of the Burns Monument and Statue House by D O Hill, dating to 1836, features the word ‘Coila’, a reference to Robert Burns poem ‘The Vision’ in which he is visited by Coila, the spirit of Ayrshire. The spirit Coila, derived from the pagan name for Kyle (a district in Ayrshire), visited the poet during a period of self-reflection on the lack of success of his work at the time. Coila helped act as a muse and a source of inspiration for him, highlighting the beauty of the countryside and the virtues of Scotland that have featured heavily throughout Burns poetry during his career.

Aiming to capture the same ‘spirit of Ayrshire’ in the new garden developments being planned for the Burns Monument, Luke will be talking about his work to mark the anniversary on Sunday 2 July.

Luke said: ‘We’re really excited about the upcoming anniversary of the Burns Monument, as it gives us the opportunity to share our ideas on how we can update the traditional design of the surrounding garden while being sympathetic to its past, shown in the historic etchings, photographs and postcards we’ve uncovered during our research. While some artistic licence has been taken in the artists’ impressions, they demonstrate the significance of the memorial to the local community by depicting Burns Cottage and Auld Kirk in the distance.

‘Taking inspiration from Burn’s poem, ‘To a Mountain Daisy”, an ode to the landscape and wildlife in the area, we are planning to plant native species of roses, grasses and evergreens into the garden to reflect the flora already in place. We also intend to reduce the height of some of the trees to re-establish sight lines to Burns Cottage and the Auld Kirk to reflect the prominence of the monument within Alloway and the pride of the community in its local hero, Robert Burns. It is thanks to our members and donors that we’re able to continue our work that supports our vision to provide access to nature, beauty and heritage for everyone by offering inspiring visitor experiences to the places in our care, to protect them for future generations to enjoy.’

The monument was cared for by the Burns Monument Trust before it came into the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland in 2008. During the initial surveys, significant water ingress was identified that was causing damage to the fabric of the building and the intricately carved stone adorning its façade and its fine interior. In response, we embarked on a programme of restoration work to replace the lime mortar between the stonework that was completed in May 2019 and formally reopened in July of the same year.

Conservation chartered building surveyor and heritage consultant Kinlay Laidlaw, who led the restoration project, will be delivering a talk to visitors on the history of the Burns Monument and challenges involved in its restoration at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum on Sunday 2 July.

Kinlay said: ‘The talk will be a celebration of the many involved in the creation of the monument and the custodians involved in its care in the intervening years until today. We will be delving into the archives to shine a light on some of the interesting stories, people and events that led to the creation of the monument and those who have looked after it over many generations to ensure it has survived in good health.’

More information about the Burns Monument anniversary celebration events and Trust Talks