It's Burns' Night in Scotland on 25th January, which involves country dances, or ceilidhs, feasts and poetry in honour of the man himself. Have a look at the below guide that we have put together on Burns' and why we think he's pretty braw!
Who is Robert Burns?
Robert Burns (1759-1796) was a Scottish poet and is often considered to be Scotland’s National Poet. Some of his most famous works include “To a Mouse”, “My Love is like a Red, Red Rose” and “Auld Lang Syne”.
So what is Burns Night?
In celebration of Robert Burns birthday, Burns Night is celebrated all over the world on the 25th January, or the nearest weekend to that date. The night is a real celebration of Scotland, from eating a hearty plate of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, to enjoy some of the words of Burns’ famous poems. Although we might not be able to enjoy a large Burns Supper with lots of family and friends this year, we can still make a big deal of Scotland’s National Poet and celebrate Burns in our own homes this year. If you want to join in this year, check out the guide below to throw a wonderful Burns Night celebration right in your own home!
The Meal
The meal consists of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, following a recital of Address to a Haggis, a whisky toast is traditionally proposed.
Then onto the Cranachan to finish.
The Poetry
Traditionally, a Burns Supper starts by saying the Selkirk Grace. "Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be Thankit!" Once grace has been said, enjoy a bowl of soup. Some traditionally soups normally served on Burns Night include Cock-a-Leekie soup, Potato and Leek soup, or Lentil soup.
One of essential elements of a Burns Supper is haggis. At a traditional Burns Supper, the haggis is normally piped into the room before someone recites Burns’ Address to a Haggis. Normally during the reading, the speaker cuts into the haggis once they read the line “An’ cut you up wi’ ready slicht”.
Once you have read the Address to a Haggis, it’s time to dig into Scotland’s national dish. Serve your haggis piping hot, alongside neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes) and a generous helping of whisky sauce.
If you need a break after your main course, why not take some time to read some more of Burns’ poetry.
To finish the meal, why not try Cranachan, a traditional dessert which showcases some of the best produce Scotland has to offer: raspberries, porridge oats, honey, whisky and cream.
Or why not finish off your meal by sampling our Scottish Whisky Selection, which features some of our favourite whisky from across the Highlands and Islands!
To end the evening, we recommend tea and coffee and some of our own chocolate bars. If you can’t get enough of the taste of haggis, give our Haggis Spice bar a try. The warming spices of mace, black pepper and coriander are a sure way to round off the evening.
Alternatively, you could try some of our Scottish Tablet bar. Tablet is often served alongside tea and coffee at the end of a meal in Scotland, so this would be the perfect time to tuck into a bar.
In Scotland, most events are finished with arguably Robert Burns most famous song, "Auld Lang Syne".
Burns' Night is a treasured celebration in Scotland, and while things are difficult right now, the team at Chocolates of Glenshiel wanted to give you a chance to celebrate at home. The team have curated the chocolate version of almost every element of the Burns night celebration; haggis (in a dark chocolate bar), with whisky (chocolates) and then to finish off your meal, a piece of tablet (in milk chocolate)! All you need is to pop on your kilt and add your own neeps and tatties!
Our Burns' Boxes contain a 15pcs Scottish Whisky Selection box, our decadent Haggis Spice in Dark Chocolate bar, and our Tablet and Milk Chocolate bar, all for £25! And if you fancy adding a wee Gin box, it's £30 in total!
Get yours today for a celebration fit for a true Scotsman and remember to enjoy your great chieftain o the puddin’ race! (That's the haggis!)