What To See and Do
Robert Burns
The Burns Trail
Robert Burns spent much of his short but eventful life in the vicinity of Friars Carse. With such close associations with the Scottish bard people enjoy discovering The Burns Trail, a gentle walk taking in both the Hermitage, situated within the hotel grounds, and nearby Ellisland Farm where he wrote many of his most famous poems and songs including Tam 0'Shanter and Auld Lang Syne.
The hotel's Whistle Restaurant was the scene of the famous drinking competition with Fergusson of Craigdarroch, the outright winner, and which was put into verse by Rabbie. The restaurant is now the scene of annual Burns Celebrations - see the Leisure Breaks & Special Offers page for details.
Located within Friars Carse Hotel grounds, Robert Burns referred to the Burns Hermitage as the 'livied cot' where the poet came to talk with his friends at Friars Carse and to write poetry. For these years were some of the most fruitful time of his short life. Burns left his mark on the tiny Hermitage, scratching some lines from a poem onto a window with a diamond.
Click on the link above to read more about Burns and one of the poems he penned in The Hermitage.
Is a 2 minute walk from the hotel. Ellisland Farm provides a wonderful insight into Robert Burn's life on a farm two hundred years ago. Guided tours of the farmhouse and museum are available. You can see Rabbie's original writings and possessions and stroll along Burns' walk beside the river.
The Burns National Heritage Park
For 200 years, the beautiful scenery of Alloway and its special connection with the life and works of Robert Burns have drawn visitors to this stunning Ayrshire village. Burns National Heritage Park offers visitors a chance to experience the rich heritage of Burns within the environment that insprired his imagination. Supported by modern visitor facilities and easily accessible by road and public transport, the Park is an ideal destination for young and old alike.