Alloway Auld Kirk

Alloway Kirk

The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th Century,[1] is a ruin in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland (grid reference NS33191805), celebrated as the scene of the witches' dance in the poem "Tam o' Shanter" by Robert Burns.

The kirk ruins and William Burnes's grave

William Burnes, father of the poet, is buried in the graveyard. Alloway was where he and his wife had raised their family, and William had attempted to maintain the grounds of the Kirk, which was already a ruin at the time.[2] The original memorial stone has eroded and the present day stone differs in wording, memorializing both of Burns's parents, and includes an epitaph the poet wrote for his father.[2] Burns's sister, Isabella Burns Begg, is also buried in the Kirkyard, along with other notable figures such as David Cathcart, Lord Alloway.[1]

Following restoration work, the Kirk and graveyard were reopened to the public by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in April 2008. The church itself is a scheduled monument and the churchyard a Category B listed building. [3][4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Alloway Auld Kirk - Ayr - VisitScotland". www.visitscotland.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  2. 1 2 Crawford, Robert (2009). The Bard. London: Jonathon Cape. p. 138. ISBN 9780224077682.
  3. ↑ "Alloway Kirk SM308". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  4. ↑ "Alloway Kirk Graveyard including Hughes Mausoleum, Gatepiers, Gates and Boundary Wall and excluding Scheduled Monument No 308, 'Alloway Kirk', Alloway LB21471". Retrieved 19 September 2017.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). "article name needed". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.

Coordinates: 55°25′40″N 4°38′15″W / 55.42786°N 4.63762°W / 55.42786; -4.63762

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