Scotland – South of Glasgow

Robert Burns is the most famous Scottish poet and his birthday is celebrated worldwide on 25 January, when people eat haggis with a dram of whisky. Visit Alloway and see the small thatched cottage where Robert Burns was born in 1759.  Nearby are the ruins of Alloway Kirk and the 13th century Brig o’Doon.  The Burns House in Mauchline was a residence, plus Ellisland Farm on the River Nith.  He ended up working as an excise officer in Dumfries and is buried in St Michael’s churchyard.

Drumlanrig Castle is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry.  It houses a wonderful collection of paintings, furniture and silver. Culzean Castle, on the coast, was built by Robert Adam in 1790 for the 10th Earl of Kennedy.   President Eisenhower was given a flat here after World War II.