National Lottery Heritage Grants £250,000 to £10 million
Ellisland Farm in rural south west Scotland was built by Scotland’s Bard, Robert Burns. He wrote some of his best-known works while at Ellisland, including Auld Lang Syne. The site still has the original buildings where he lived, fields he worked and the paths he walked.
Operated by Robert Burns Ellisland Trust since 2020, the farm attracts Burns lovers and visitors from Scotland and across the globe. We have awarded them development funding to progress their plans to save the historic buildings and develop sustainable income sources.
Joan McAlpine, Project Director of the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust, said: "The place where Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne is one of Scotland's most important and most at-risk historic sites, so we are delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is kick-starting our project to save it.
“Heritage Fund support will enable the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to fully develop plans to secure the future of the farm and to deliver a wider programme of engagement and events to share the legacy of Burns now and into the future.”
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland, said: “Robert Burns has a unique place in Scottish culture and his work is celebrated around the world. Ellisland and its beautiful natural environs are of immense significance in the story of Burns and to Scotland’s cultural heritage."
