He is Scotland’s national bard with a unique voice that has carried down the generations to solidify his place as one of the world’s greatest ever poets.
However, as Rabbie Burns once wrote, ‘life is but a day at most,’ and having waited more than two years for a statue of the celebrated literary icon to return to its rightful place in Leith, some were disappointed to see his reemergence from a bin bag at an unveiling to mark his 263rd birthday.
READ MORE: Edinburgh city centre to ban older cars as drivers face huge fines for ignoring
Crowds gathered to watch the 124-year-old sculpture officially unveiled on Constitution Street after being shifted around two metres to the right amid the Edinburgh Trams extension project.
But the “ceremonial removal of a bin bag” raised the ire of certain residents, who felt the monument - erected by the Leith Burns Club in 1898 - deserved more of a fanfare following its return.
Commenting on a video of the unveiling posted online, one wrote: “Think he perhaps deserves a bit more than hauling a black bag off his napper with a stick.
“Good to see it back though.”
Another took a more tongue in cheek approach, adding: “Strangely proud to live in a country which unveils a statue of one of its most celebrated sons using a big pole and a giant bin liner.
“I like to think Burns would have approved.”
The statue had been in storage since December 2019 after being shifted to make way for construction works related to the Trams to Newhaven project and to undergo restoration work last carried out in the early 1960s.
In January 2020 it was revealed that archaeologists working at the site of the plinth had uncovered a 19th century time capsule that had lain hidden underneath.
Inside, council teams discovered contemporary artefacts including a newspaper, a pamphlet on the history of the Robert Burns Club, a list of crimes recorded by the Leith Police, and newly-minted silver and gold coins.
At the ceremony, Edinburgh makar Alan Spence read out specially commissioned poetry covering the statue's two-year journey back to Leith during the Covid pandemic.
An up to date time capsule has also been buried at the site, with objects including a face covering contained within.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
Speaking as the monument was unveiled, City of Edinburgh Council leader, councillor Adam McVey, thanked workers on the tram project for their efforts in ensuring the iconic likeness was preserved.
He added: "It's really important that he is here for today.
"The Trams to Newhaven team have worked amazingly through Covid. They have ploughed on, still laid tracks and, crucially, are still within budget.
"It's because of their dedication that we've managed to get Rabbie, not only looking his best and back where he should be but in a much better public space for people right across Leith and everywhere else to come and enjoy a proper statue in a proper setting with a facelift."
