Burns Mausoleum

As well as his poetry, Burns was famous for his love affairs. One of his first was Elizabeth Paton, a servant on his parents' farm, with whom he had his first illegitimate child. The child was born while he was in a relationship with Jean Armour who had also fallen pregnant.

He then fell for Mary Campbell to whom he dedicated 'The Highland Lassie O'', 'Highland Mary', 'To Mary in Heaven' and 'Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary, and leave auld Scotia's shore?'. The pair had planned to emigrate to Jamaica, but she sadly died while pregnant with his child. He then fathered another illegitimate child, Robert Burns Clow, with the servant Jenny Clow.

Burns and Jean Armour went on to rekindle their relationship and married in 1788. They moved to Ellisland Farm near Dumfries, then later moved into the town. Burns and Jean had nine children in total, although only three survived infancy. He also fathered another illegitimate child, Elizabeth 'Betty' Burns, with Globe barmaid Anna Park. Betty would go on to be adopted and raised by Jean.

Burns and Jean would spend the rest of their lives in Dumfries.

Donations flooded in from around the world, some of which were raised by a campaign led by Sir Walter Scott.

Once the funds were raised, a design by the London architect Thomas Hunt was selected, and a local stonemason named John Milligan was chosen to carry out the work. After Milligan failed to comply with the specifications, the London-based Irish-Italian sculptor Peter Turnerelli was brought in as a replacement.

There is more than just the Burns Mausoleum inside St Michael's Kirkyard. Let's see what else there is to see.

Burns was a very popular chap and some of his buddies are also buried here. There is a list of the friends and a map of the location of their memorials.

Each of the graves is marked with a blue oval plaque.

Also keep an eye out for the Covenanters Memorial. The Covenanters opposed the Anglican system that was imposed by King Charles I. In pledging to follow the Presbyterian way of governing and worship, they would pay with their lives.

The Martyr's Monument commemorates the local Covenanters who lost their lives. This includes two Pentland Martyrs, William Grierson and William Welsh, who were sentenced to execution after the Battle of Rullion Green. The other is James Kirk, who was shot at Whitesands, not far from here.

The white granite obelisk can be found at the rear of the kirkyard and is surrounded by their older gravestones.

To be honest, I don't need an excuse to wander around a kirkyard, in fact I find it quite therapeutic. This one especially so with a number of old and elaborate memorial stones.

After visiting the mausoleum and having a wander around the kirkyard, why not pop across the road to see the Jean Armour Statue, then continue down the road to see the Burns House.