This week in our round up of poetry news we look at the fundraising efforts to save Robert Burns’ farm and the festival dates for StAnza 2026.
£12m Needed to Restore Farm Where Auld Lang Syne Was Written
Campaigners are working to raise funds on an international level to save the farm where the poet Robert Burns penned Auld Lang Syne and a number of his other noted poems. The international appeal needs to be raised in the region of £12m to achieve this.
Scotland’s bard built the farm, named Ellisland Farm, which is located in Dumfries and Galloway himself when he was aged just 29. Build in 1788, the now A-listed building was a home for the poet, his wife, and their children. It is where he wrote a number of his noted poems, including “My Heart’s inThe Highlands”, and “Tam O Shanter”. In recent years, the property has suffered from decay, damp, and significant structural deterioration.
Formed in 2020, The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust formed in 2020 was put together with the goal of saving the property. Fundraising efforts to date include recreating the property in Minecraft, generating income from holiday accommodation and restoring the Burns Family’s Flute so it could be played for the first time in centuries. The site was awarded museum status in 2023 and they have plans to conserve it properly.
In 2021 they were dealt a blow to their plans when a Historic Environment Scotland conservation study confirmed that in its current state the building was not appropriate for housing the Burns collection without extensive restoration and repair work being undertaken.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund last year awarded the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust support in the region of £500,000 to assist them in developing plans to secure the future of the farm. This was the initial step for the trust in the journey to secure up to £1.6m of delivery support from the Heritage Fund. The plans that have been drawn up include recreating the farmhouse, using newly discovered materials and shopping lists which offer details about floorboards and furnishings. There would also be a museum space which would be environmentally controlled and would enhance the biodiversity of the landscape.
Friday 28th November saw the launch of the international fundraising campaign, in an event which took place at an event in Glasgow. The launch will include a film that features Peter Mackay, and Jamaica’s former poet laureate Lorna Goodison. Goodison has recently completed a Scottish Poetry Library residency which took place at Ellisland. The restored Burns flute will also be played following the screening.
StAnza Unveils 2026 Poetry Festival Dates
The internationally renowned poetry festival, StAnza, which takes place in St Andrews’ has unveiled the themes and dates for its 2026 programme.
The festival will be returning to St Andrews’ on 13th March and running until the 15th. The theme will be “You Are Not Alone.” It is expected that over 70 poets from seven countries will be in attendance, amongst their number the American poet Carl Phillips and French poet Pascale Petit are confirmed.
There will be over 75 different events, which will be announced as part of the full programme unveil in January.
You must register to comment. Log in or Register.