Burns Cottage

The cottage has had a number of uses, including a spell as a pub, run by a Mr Goudie from Riccarton who saw the opportunity to exploit Burns's developing reputation.{{efn|Cottage for Sale — The cottage in which the Ayrshire Bard, Robert Burns, was born, which has been for years a well frequented inn, now advertised for sale by the incorporation of shoemakers of Ayr, to whom the premises present belong.{{cite news|title= Cottage for sale|newspaper= Bell's Weekly Messenger |date= 25 November 1838|page= 4}}}}

At first therefore the cottage was not greatly valued. The Suffragettes recognised its importance, having once endeavoured to set the cottage alight.Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London : Jenkins. P. 60

In 1818, the English poet John Keats took a trip to Scotland to visit the home, years after Burns' death in 1796. Before Keats arrived, he wrote to a friend that "one of the pleasantest means of annulling self is approaching such a shrine as the cottage of Burns – we need not think of his misery – that is all gone – bad luck to it – I shall look upon it all with unmixed pleasure."Costa, Robert, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204886304574308681606221044 "Keats’s House, Restored"], article, The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2009, retrieved August 12, 2009 but his encounter with the cottage's alcoholic custodian returned him to thoughts of misery.{{cite book|author-link=Sidney Colvin|first=Sidney|last=Colvin|title=John Keats}}

Throughout much of the 19th century, the cottage served as a privately rented residence and then became an alehouse, before being converted back to its appearance during the lifetime of Burns when his family lived within the cottage in 1881 by the Burns Monument Trust.

Robert Burns lived in the cottage until the age of seven years old, living alongside his family as well as their farm animals. Burns received his earliest form of education through homeschooling in the family kitchen located within the cottage.{{cite web |title=Burns Cottage |url=https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum/highlights/burns-cottage |website=National Trust for Scotland |access-date=27 December 2024 |language=en}} The Burns family later moved from the cottage to a larger house in the south–east of Alloway in order to accommodate the growing Burns family. Robert's father, William Burnes, sold the cottage to the Incorporation of Shoemakers which was located in Ayr.{{cite web |title=Burns Cottage Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland |url=https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/alloway/burnscottage/index.html |website=www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk |access-date=27 December 2024}}

Following the death of Burns in 1796, the cottage was being used as a pub. Due to the popularity of the pub following his death, the cottage had to be extended in order to accommodate increased volumes of visitors. Most of the extension which was constructed at this time was destroyed, leaving the cottage to be returned to its original appearance during the period Burns had lived there.{{cite web |title=How many of these facts did you know about Burns Cottage? |url=https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/19251984.burns-cottage-seven-facts-robert-burns-first-home/ |website=Ayr Advertiser |access-date=27 December 2024 |language=en}}

Burns Cottage is a long, low, thatched building which fronts onto the main street of Alloway, consisting of four rooms, two for human habitation and two for farm livestock. A relatively small kitchen and parlour is situated within the cottage linked by a byre and barn area. The kitchen also contains an alcove which houses a bed box in which Burns was born.{{cite web |title=Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Burns Cottage, Monument, Brig O' Doon & Auld Kirk |url=https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=1276 |website=Britain Express |access-date=27 December 2024 |language=en}}

Over the years, much work and consideration has been given to preserving the cottage and its appearance to keep it similar to that during the lifetime of Burns. However, with a history of various ownerships, there has been some alteration and buildings works.{{cite web |title=Then & Now: Burns Cottage |url=https://burnsmuseum.wordpress.com/2015/06/10/then-now-burns-cottage/ |website=Burns Birthplace Blog |access-date=27 December 2024 |language=en |date=10 June 2015}}

File:BurnsCottageOldestKnownEngraving.jpg|Oldest known engraving, 1805

File:BurnsCottageInteriorBedsCirca1904.jpg|Bedroom

File:BurnsCottageInteriorInclFireplaceCirca1904.jpg|Kitchen

File:BurnsCottagePlan1904.jpg|Plan and Elevation view

File:BurnsCottageCrossSection.jpg|Cross section

File:BurnsCottageAdditionUntil1902.jpg|View of cottage with an addition, torn down in 1902

File:BurnsCottageBackViewCirca1904.jpg|Back of cottage in 1904, showing then-new museum building

File:BurnsCottageMuseumInteriorCirca1904.jpg|Interior of museum, 1904

• Burns Cottage (Atlanta), a reproduction of Burns' birthplace, built in 1911

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• [https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum Robert Burns Birthplace Museum]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080513191013/http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/Ayrshire/burns-cottage.asp Pictures of Burns Cottage, Alloway]

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Category:Literary museums in Scotland

Category:Biographical museums in Scotland

Burns, Robert

Category:Buildings and structures in Ayr

Category:Cottages