The newly refurbished Burns National Heritage Park and museum will open its doors to the public on 1st December 2010. The £21million project will house world's most significant Burns collection, the historic Burns Monument and beautiful commemorative gardens which are a fitting tribute to the life of Scotland's National Bard.

In the lead up to the opening of the new museum, the National Trust for Scotland has been working on a host of exciting fundraising initiatives to contribute to raising the final amount needed to complete the project, with the support of a number of high profile Scots including artist Peter Howson, singer Eddi Reader and writer Ian Pattinson. The

THE BURNS COLLECTION

The new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum will play home to the most important Burns collection in the world, featuring over 5000 artefacts including pieces of art, manuscripts, books and the personal belongings of Burns all painstakingly brought to Alloway over the past 200 years. Amongst the items on display will be Burns’ writing companion – the iconic writing set which became the tools of his trade and the writing bureau which Burns is believed to have written A Man’s a Man for a’ That, Scots Wha Hae and Lea Rigg on.

Many original manuscripts of Burns work will also go on display for visitors to view including one of two original manuscripts of Scots Wha Hae, which was inspired by Robert the Bruce’s battle march to Bannockburn and an extremely rare unbound copy of the Kilmarnock edition, the poet’s first book Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect which has survived in its original jacket.

T

he original manuscripts of Auld Lang Syne and Tam o’Shanter, two of Burns’ most famous works will also go on display at the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Perhaps the single-most important relic in the life of Burns is the boxbed on which he was born. This simple concealed bed, which is built into the hallan of the cottage has been the highpoint of millions of 'pilgrimmages' to Alloway since the poet's death in1796.

Find out more about the museum and the National Trust for Scotland