Robert Burns’ Alloway

📌 Alloway, South Ayrshire
★★★

Robert Burns fans will be drawn to Ayr‘s southern suburb of Alloway, where Scotland’s national bard grew up. An excellent, modern museum full of Burns memorabilia is the highlight, at the opposite end of the village to the contrasting, humble thatched cottage where the poet was born in 1759. These are joined together by the fancy Poet’s Path, with two locations featured in his poems just off the route. The first of these is the ruined 16th century Alloway Auld Kirk to the east, mentioned in Tam o’ Shanter and the burial place for some of Burns’ family members. The bigger building across the road is its replacement. Further south, you’ll find the cobbled, 15th century Brig o’ Doon (which also features in Tam o’ Shanter) beyond a large Memorial Garden for the poet. Struggling to visualise it? Don’t worry, all of the above comes under the umbrella of a single National Trust for Scotland site. Pick up a map from the museum or cottage when you arrive; our location details below are listed in relation to the main Birthplace Museum (or see the interactive map underneath).

Alloway Auld Kirk ★

🌍 Location

📌 By the B7024, 5-min walk west of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 332181

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.427882,-4.637558

🚌 Bus to Alloway

🚗 Street parking, or use Robert Burns Birthplace Museum car park

📝 Key info

⌚ Always open

🎫 Free

🔗 nts.org.uk

Burns Cottage ★★

🌍 Location

📌 By the B7024, 10-min walk north of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 335186

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.432835,-4.633424

🚌 Bus to Alloway

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

⌚ Daily

🎫 £12 adult / £7 child joint with Birthplace Museum, free for National Trust for Scotland members

🔗 nts.org.uk

Burns Monument and Gardens & Brig o’ Doon ★★★

🌍 Location

📌 Off the B7024, 5-min walk southwest of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 332179

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.426966,-4.636757

🚌 Bus to Alloway

🚗 Street parking, or use Robert Burns Birthplace Museum car park

📝 Key info

⌚ Always open

🎫 Free

🔗 nts.org.uk

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum ★★★

🌍 Location

📌 Murdoch’s Lone, south side of Alloway village centre

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 334180

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.427552,-4.634535

🚌 Bus to Alloway

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

⌚ Daily

🎫 £12 adult / £7 child joint with Burns Cottage, free for National Trust for Scotland members

🔗 nts.org.uk