Burns Night

Burns Night marks the anniversary of the poet Robert Burns’ birth, one of our most famous and celebrated Scots. It dates back to 21^st July 1802, when a group of 9 of Robert Burn’s close friends gathered at a cottage in Alloway, Scotland to commemorate the 5^th anniversary of his death with a supper.  They shared a meal of traditional Scottish cuisine of haggis, neeps and tatties. They recited his poetry, including ‘Address to a Haggis,’ and toasted his memory.  Unbeknown to them, this marked the start of what would become an annual tradition. Over time the date changed to 25^th January, Robert Burns birthday and the supper has traditions and ceremonies.

You may have heard of haggis, a dish made from sheep or cow offal. But you may be less familiar with another traditional Scottish side dish ‘Neeps and Tatties’. Neeps are mashed swede or turnips while tatties refer to mashed potatoes. Combined, they are perfect with haggis. Atholl Palace recommend a rich whisky sauce to accompany both!

Expect a traditional evening like no other, for Burns Night at the Atholl Palace. A piper will lead you from our Grand Foyer to the Atholl Suite and plays until everyone is seated. Our toast master welcomes all followed by the Selkirk Grace, then it’s time for the ‘Piping of the Haggis’, where our Chef carries the haggis on a silver platter into the suite while the bag pipes are played. This is followed by the ‘Address to the Haggis’ and the ‘Toast to the Haggis’. The haggis is then taken to the kitchen to be plated up and served for dinner. The night will be punctuated with burns poetry, plenty of whisky and lots of laughs. Our Ceilidh Band will entertain until the wee hours. The night will always close with guests holding hands and singing Auld Lang Syne.

Peaty whiskies work best with haggis as the smoky, peaty flavours cut through the rich haggis.  We recommend Laphroaig, Lagavulin or Kilchoman Sanaig.  If smoky whisky isn’t your thing, we would recommend a milder, sweeter whisky, such as Dalwhinnie, Glenfiddich or our local malt Edradour.

To accompany your dessert, we would recommend a sherry cask such as MacAllan or Edradour Sherry Cask. Ultimately our Burns supper is about celebration and camaraderie, so choose a whisky you enjoy, and it will compliment any meal!

Robert Burns, or Rabbie Burns, is Scotland’s most celebrated bard, writing poetry and lyrics in both Lowland Scots and English. His most well-known poems include “To a Mouse,” “Address to a Haggis,” “Tam O’Shanter,” “A Red, Red Rose,” and “The Selkirk Grace.” Alongside his literary contributions, Burns gained fame for his love affairs and radical political views, expressing sympathy for the French and American revolutions. His work inspired generations of Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth. “Auld Lang Syne” is his most enduring legacy, for which he wrote the lyrics.