Scotland Sets A New World Record For Burns Night

22nd January 2009
Scotland sets a new world record in joining thousands of Burns Suppers worldwide to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and open the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations.
 
Homecoming Scotland is bringing together the biggest ever all-inclusive Burns Night celebration in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.

Nearly 3,000 Burns Night suppers from more than 73 different countries worldwide have joined The World Famous Burns Supper celebration, a partnership with The Famous Grouse, that helps kick off Homecoming Scotland’s exciting programme of events.

Scotland will host more than 300 events throughout the year from the Burns Anniversary Weekend (23-25th January) until St Andrews Night (30th November) with the key themes being Burns himself, whisky, golf, great minds and innovations and our rich ancestry and culture.

The World Famous Burns Supper celebration invites those living in Scotland, as well as those who have Scottish ancestry or people who just love the country, to raise a toast with The Famous Grouse to Robert Burns and join in sharing their plans for Burns Night 2009 as part of the opening programme of Homecoming Scotland.

In addition, unique and spectacular outdoor and indoor celebrations will be taking place across Burns Anniversary Weekend (23-25 January) in key locations including Ayrshire, Dumfries, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Participants of Burns Suppers have flocked to the dedicated website www.burnssupper2009.com to share their plans for this unique year and these include everything from prestigious sit down meals to family get-togethers and some very unusual celebrations of the Bard.

The Homecoming Burns Supper held in the Brig O’ Doon Hotel in Alloway on Saturday 24th January, to be attended by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond MSP, will be a centrepiece for the World Famous Burns Supper celebration that has succeeded in bringing together the largest number of Burns Suppers ever joined in one Burns Night celebration.

The highest Burns supper has been held this year on top of Ben Nevis by Scottish Mountaineer Chris Dunlop who holds the record for the World’s highest ever Burns supper on top of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina in 2008.

In London The Burns Himalayan Fling claims that haggis originated in Nepal and will be held at Babur restaurant where Scottish actors Iain Robertson and John Murtagh will recite Burns poetry as the haggis is piped in by a Gurkha Piper. Whisky tasting will follow and the grand prize will be a limited edition of The Famous Grouse 37 year old, worth £400 and especially commissioned for 2009 to mark each special year of Robert Burns’ life.

Ex-pats in Balikpapan, Indonesia are importing Macsween haggis from Bali for 200 people whilst they spread the good word of Scotland and works of Rabbie Burns.

In Azerbajan the Baku Caledonian Society celebrate their 12th annual Burns Supper with 200 international guests who every year promote Scottish culture tasking a Scottish band to not only entertain, but travel with 50KG of haggis to the event.

Fellow balloonists at the annual balloon fiesta in Chateau d’Oex, Switzerland will munch into communal trays of haggis dowsed in whisky with the tallest piper in the world - a 155 ft balloon in the shape of a piper being the focal point for the Burns Night celebration.

Affinity Scots, the Scotland Community In Argentina celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns through their own Tartan Army who will be sporting Balmorals, hunting the haggis, and will bring the beast to life by allowing a response to its address.

In Tokyo, it’s ‘Strictly Nae Dancin’ this year at a ‘Burns Night In’ where up to 50 guests all from different countries will be squeezed into a house in the suburbs of the city. Scottish smoked salmon, Scottish steak pie, cheddar, oatcakes, shortbread and homemade tablet are to be consumed along with and entertainment will include some off-the-cuff traditional toasts and recitals from those attending.

South Africa will see a Clan Chief and 360 guests toast Scotland at the Cape Town Burns Supper attended by the  Cape Town Highlanders who are a fully operational 125 year old mechanised infantry unit with strong links to the late Gordon Highlanders and the current Royal Regiment of Scotland.Sporting their scarlet jackets they will watch be amongst other guests watching footage of ‘the hame country’ that will feature ariel shots of Scotland’s castles, distilleries and crofts and enjoy performances from fiddlers’ Celtic tunes and Highland dancers’ reels.

In Canada the Tam O’ Shanter Dancers will perform ‘A Portrait of Burns’ in front of 300 guests as a giant Celtic framed painting comes to life when a Burns actor steps forth from it to recite Burns song and poetry.

Sri Lanka boasts a ‘Community Tam’ when guests share the reading of Tam O’ Shanter, entertaining all with their mix of accents and pronunciations. The Caledonian Society here claims to date from 1795, over-lapping with the life of Burns by one year.

Some of the more unusual Burns supper plans in 2009 include a supper on the highest structure in the CN Tower, Toronto, the most chilled out supper hosted by a Clan Chief on Balmoral Beach in Australia and possibly the most remote being in the Eastern part of Bolivia held by the Scientific Exploration Society. The scariest Burns supper has been held in Edinburgh Dungeon with a ‘Rabbie Burns’ and Sawney Beans famiily and there are plenty of records still to be broken.

Marie Christie, Project Director for Homecoming Scotland said:

“Robert Burns is a man whose influence has extended far beyond the country in which he lived and his legacy is still alive and kicking today. We are delighted that the invite to share in the Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations has motivated people throughout the world and they are joining with us to celebrate the significance of this very special year – the 250th anniversary of our nation’s bard who is loved across the globe.”

Gerry O’Donnell, from The Famous Grouse said:

“With an estimated 45 million Scottish descendents around the world, this is a great opportunity to bring everyone together to celebrate Scotland. We’re delighted to see that Burns’ legacy is so far reaching, and hope our fellow Burnsians all around the world will raise a dram of The Famous Grouse to toast the bard on the 25th January!”

Shirley Bell, Chief Executive of The Robert Burns World Federation said:

“We are delighted that people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe are able to participate in the many splendid Homecoming events taking place during 2009.  We are especially pleased that the 250th anniversary of the Poet’s birth will set the scene for an exciting year in Scotland’s story.”

-ENDS-

Pictures are available on request.

For more press information contact:
Sharon Makepeace
Homecoming Scotland 2009 Launch PR Manager
Tel: 07771 981 236

Notes to editors:

The Top Ten Countries (by number of Burns Suppers being held as of today’s date) on www.burnssupper2009.com are;

England = 1121
Scotland = 1003 (just broken the 1,000 mark today)
USA = 263
Canada = 120
Australia = 69
Wales = 34
France = 33
N. Ireland = 25
Germany = 18
New Zealand = 15

About Homecoming Scotland 2009 (www.homecomingscotland2009.com)
•    Homecoming Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative managed by EventScotland, the national events agency, in partnership with VisitScotland, the country's   national tourism agency.  
•    Robert Burns is the inspiration for Homecoming Scotland as 2009 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s national poet.
•    As well as Robert Burns, Homecoming Scotland events are also celebrating some of the other great contributions Scotland has given the world – golf, whisky, great Scottish minds and innovations, and as the ancestral home to millions of people around the world.
•    Homecoming Scotland will engage Scots at home as well as motivate people of Scottish descent and those who simply love Scotland, to take part in an inspirational celebration of our culture, heritage and some of the many great contributions Scotland has given to the world.
About The Famous Grouse (www.thefamousgrouse.com)
•    The Famous Grouse is the no. 1 whisky in Scotland and no. 5 blended whisky worldwide.
•    The Famous Grouse is exported to over 100 countries.
•    Created in 1896 by founder Matthew Gloag, it was originally called The Grouse Brand. The brand became so popular that on August 12th 1905 it was renamed
The Famous Grouse.
•    The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today
The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland. (www.thefamousgrouse.com/experience).
The Robert  Burns World Federation
•    The Robert Burns World Federation is the worldwide authoritative body regarding all things ‘Burnsian’; influencing and supporting the creation of new Clubs and Associations and encouraging the study of Burn’s life, works and philosophies.