Dumfries is to host the Robert Burns World Federation annual conference later this year.
The gathering – which includes the annual meeting – is being held in the Cairndale Hotel from September 9 to 11 and it is being hailed as “a major cultural and economic coup for Dumfries and Galloway” with more than 100 residential delegates coming from around the UK.
Another 40 members are coming from Canada, the USA and Australia.
They will be joined by a large number of day delegates from the Burns world in Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire.
Dumfries has been chosen because of its “rich connection” with Robert Burns who lived, raised his family, and died in the town, and whose remains are in his mausoleum in St Michael’s Kirkyard.
A spokesperson for the RBWF said that as well as guided walking tours of the “Burns Quarter” in the town, other cultural visits are planned to Ellisland Farm where he penned many of his famous works including Old Lang Syne and Tam O’
Shanter.
There will also be a visit to Annandale Distillery where one of their signature single malts, Man O’ Words, was inspired by Burns who was an exciseman in Annan.
Short talks and lectures will be held in the Cairndale Hotel in Dumfries, with the Calgary Burns Singers due to perform after the Friday night dinner.
Chains of office will be exchanged at the Gala Dinner on the Saturday
night.
The RBWF, founded in 1885, is the oldest literary society in Scotland.
It connects Burnsians the world over and fosters a band of fellowship and aims to educate, promote and celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns, Scots heritage, language, music and culture.
