Robert Burns

1759-1796

Robert Burns is buried in St. Michael's Churchyard, Dumfries, Scotland. (See map...ref no. 1)

Burns died of rheumatic fever in Dumfries on 21 July 1796. He was originally buried in the north east corner of St. Michael's church yard, but in September 1815 his body was transferred to the mausoleum which was erected in the south-east corner of the churchyard and paid for by public subscriptions. (Even the Prince Regent - later George IV made a contribution.)

Burns' wife's remains were added to the mausoleum in 1834 - at which time a cast was taken of Burns' skull.

In 1778 Burns finally married Jean Armour and settled on a farm at Ellisland near Dumfries. The following year he secured a job as an Excise Officer and subsequently was able to retire from farming.

Robert Burns' Mausoleum
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Robert Burns

Burns is famous for his use of the Scottish dialect - writing with great integrity about the people and places he knew. Tam o' Shanter, Burns' last major poem was written in 1791.

As well as writing poetry, Burns also wrote and amended some two hundred folk songs which included lyrics such as Auld Lang Syne and A Red, Red Rose.

More recently, Hugh MacDiarmid argued that Burns' influence had led to excessive sentimentality in Scottish poetry and advocated that Scottish poets should return to William Dunbar as a model.