It's nearly that time of the year when Scots and would-be Scots from around the globe come together to celebrate the country's national bard.
January 25 is the day we celebrate the life and works of Robert (Rabbie) Burns and as with any party, we are inviting the whole world to join in.
So grab your best tartan trews, a plate of haggis, neeps, and tatties, and of course a wee dram of whisky and join us for a closer look at this fascinating character.
Here are 15 facts you might not know about this world-renowned poet and popular Scottish figure.
1. He wrote his first poem when he was 15
He ended up writing 716 altogether, all of which have been archived and recorded by the BBC.
2. He not only had a way with words but a way with the ladies
Burns fathered 12 children, nine of them with his most famous love, wife Jean Armour.
3. He was the first person to appear on a Coca-Cola bottle
In 2009, the poet became the first person to appear on a commemorative Coca-Cola bottle.
4. He lost it all
Although he is now internationally renowned, tragically he reportedly died in poverty with just £1 to his name.
5. He had a bawdy collection of pornographic poetry
Though literary experts over time have tried to hide this part of his life, the fact remains, the bard loved exploring with more risqué topics.
Said to keep his book of explicit poetry locked in a drawer, he wrote poems called The Fornicator and Nine Inches Will Please A Lady.
6. The world’s biggest collection of his works can be found in Glasgow
The world’s biggest collection of Burns works, with translations into more than 30 languages, is in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.
7. He almost emigrated to Jamaica
Before his first collection of poetry – Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect – was published, he considered emigrating to Jamaica to work on a sugar plantation. He changed his mind at the last moment and moved to Edinburgh instead.
8. His work was out of this world
No, literally. In 2010, a small book of his poems was carried into orbit by astronaut Nicholas Patrick. The book completed a 5.7 million mile trip and 217 orbits of Earth.
9. There are a lot of statues of him
With over 50 statues and memorials worldwide, only two other non-religious figures - Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus - have more than him.
There are statues of Burns in places as far afield as New Zealand, Vancouver in Canada and even Detroit in the US.
10. He has a lot of famous fans
Fans of his work include Bob Dylan, Abraham Lincoln, and Michael Jackson, who once wanted to write a musical about it and there have even been suggestions that Thriller was inspired by Tam O’Shanter.
11. He was originally known as Robert Burnes
Originally spelling his surname “Burnes”, the family changed their name to Burns after Robert's father died in 1784.
12. In 2018 his face was reconstructed for a groundbreaking video
In 2018, the teams at the Liverpool John Moore and Dundee Universities created an animated facial reconstruction of Robert Burns reciting one of his own poems.
13. He has been crowned the 'Greatest Scot'
In 2009, STV viewers crowned him as The Greatest Scot in 2009, ahead of people such as William Wallace, Sir Alexander Fleming and Robert the Bruce.
14. He had a big brain
Burns’s skull was once measured after his body had been exhumed. It was found to be above average size.
15. The first Burns supper was held on July 21, 1801
It happened when a group of nine of his pals got together in Alloway to mark five years since his death. The meal was haggis, his works were recited and a tribute speech was given, which has now become known as the Immortal Memory.
Subsequent events moved to his birthday, with suppers now held all over the world to celebrate Burns and Scots culture in general.
Don't miss the top culture and heritage stories from around Scotland. Sign up to our twice weekly Scotland Now newsletter here.
