One of the town’s famous former residents was honoured with wreath-laying events to mark the anniversary of his birthday on Tuesday.
Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, and Burns Night celebrations were held around the globe.
The poet lived, worked and raised his family in Dumfries before his death on July 21, 1796, and he was laid to rest in a mausoleum in St Michael’s Kirkyard.
Burns Statue at the top of the High Street was the focus of commemorations to mark his 263rd birthday anniversary on Tuesday morning.
The event was hosted by Dumfries Burns Club and led by its president, Miller Caldwell, who is a direct descendant of the poet himself through Elizabeth Burns.
Wreaths were laid by representatives of Dumfries Burns Club, the Robert Burns World Federation, Dumfries Ladies Burns Club No 1, Dumfries Burns Howff Club and St Michael’s Burns Club, and the event was watched by invited MPs and MSPs, and public onlookers.
Pupils from Loreburn Primary and from the town’s secondary schools played a part in the event with music and reciting poems.
The piper was Callum Watson.
Dumfries and Galloway Burns Association then went on to host a wreath-laying service at Burns’ Mausoleum in St Michael’s kirkyard.
However, their annual memorial service in the church – which usually includes a number of schools – had to be cancelled and many of the usual Burns supper gatherings that are a tradition at this time of the year for the organisations have been put on hold because of the pandemic.
Some will go ahead at a later date.
The internet also came into play as a place to pay tributes to the bard.
This included Dumfries’ Big Burns Supper Burns Night concert which switched to online.
The 90 minute celebration with comedy, poetry and song included local performers and stars from all over the world such as KT Tunstall in Los Angeles and Dervish, performing from Dublin Castle, Tide Lines in the Isle of Mull and Skerryvore in Edinburgh.
