Scotland’s greatest poet, Robert Burns, born on 25 January 1759, startled the world with a little book of verse in 1786. He then went on to write song after song, verse upon verse and made his name immortal throughout the world.
The Montrose Robert Burns Trail, developed by the Montrose Burns Club, includes stories of Burns along with artefacts, buildings, sites in and around Montrose and people connected to his time in this area.
The recommended route for the trail is to start at the new Burns memorial site at Rosemount Hillside, travel down through the town and out to Ferryden, then out by Barns of Craig to Arbikie Distillery.
The total distance is 11 miles, with 12 locations in total to visit. There is scope to dip in and out of the trail in any way and direction you wish. The What3words app is used for each location to aid navigation around the trail.
At each point on the trail you will find a plaque with a QR code, linking to the Montrose Burns Club website for more information about each location and its connection with Robert Burns.
Follow Montrose Burns Club on Facebook for more information about Robert Burns and the Montrose trail.
Robert Burns Memorial Cairn
What3Words: kilt.brisk.hinders
The original Robert Burns memorial plaque was carved by Adam Christie and installed in the wall in Rosemount Road in 1930, remembering Robert Burns’ visit in 1787 during his Highland tour. The plaque commemorates the day Burns stopped to water his horse before continuing into Montrose.
In 2022, the condition of the wall deteriorated to the point the plaque was under serious threat. Work started in March 2023 to move the plaque to a safe place and install the plaque into a new memorial. On 6 April 2023, the plaque was removed from the wall in Rosemount Road without incurring any damage, and the wall reinstated using local stone. The depth of the plaque was previously unknown and turned out to be a complete stone block, around a foot deep.
Work commenced on the new memorial in April 2023, carried out by Brian Doig. Concrete was laid for the cairn base, and work continued throughout spring and summer, in parallel with fund raising. The memorial was completed on 7 September 2023. It is a stunning and fitting memorial worthy of our great Bard.
First Site of the Robert Burns Stone Plaque
What3Words: albatross.props.gossiping
This is the original site of the Robert Burns plaque.
Robert Burns and his friend Willie Nicol alighted at this very spot and allowed their horse to drink on 12/13 Sept in 1787, during their travels from Laurencekirk to Montrose when on their Highland tour of that year.
Four men took the time and saw the worth in creating this memorial back in 1930. Dr. C.J. Shaw the Superintendent, Joseph Harris and Willie Herd, Orderlies at Sunnyside Hospital (all Burns enthusiasts) and sculptor, Shetlander Adam Christie, who carved the inscription on the stone plaque, was a patient for 50 years at this same institution.
The stone plaque was removed for safe keeping in March 2023 and now sits pride of place within the new Burns Memorial Cairn across the road in Rosemount grounds.
Gayfield House
What3Words: octaganol.wicked.audibly
Formerly known as Townfield House in Hillside – where Provost Christie lived. Burns stopped there, possibly directed over the river North Esk by Mr Craigie of Craigo.
Townfield House, later to become Gayfield House as it is today, is very close to the spot at Rosemount where Burns watered his horse. From Burns’ own journal we know that it was Wednesday 12 September 1787 that he arrived in Montrose and left for Auchmithie on Thursday for breakfast.
Burns had initially stopped at Craigo House and then stopped here at Townfield House. The party, composed of Burns, his cousin James Burness, Provost Christie, William Nicol and Mr Carnegie – the owner of Craigo House. The party then proceeded to Bow Butts and onto the Turk Head Inn.
The Grave of Adam Christie
What3Words: upwards.bulletins.secrets
Adam Christie’s grave is in a pauper area of Sleepyhillock Cemetery. The grave was unmarked until 2009 when Dave Ramsay B.E.M. commissioned a stone head by Brian Wyllie in the style of Adam and gained HES designation as a place of historic significance. A rowan tree was planted at the graveside in remembrance of Adam.
Adam Christie was a Shetlander from Cunningsburgh and a patient in Sunnyside sanatorium for 50 years of his life until his death in 1950. During his time there he took to sculpting with very rudimentary tools – old nails and pieces of glass. Not only did he carve the inscription on the Burns plaque at Rosemount, he also carved a significant amount of stone heads, many of which survive today in and around Montrose. 11 were saved by Montrose Burns Club and are kept in the Montrose Museum..
Adam Christie’s story is told in the book ‘’The Gentle Shetlander’’ by Dr Kenneth Keddie, a psychiatrist who worked at Sunnyside sanatorium.
The William Lamb Studio
What3Words: coins.portfollio.studio
It is known that the celebrated sculptor William Lamb took Adam Christie under his wing and permitted Adam to work at his studio in Market Street, Montrose. Lamb offered Christie use of his own sculpting tools but Christie declined, preferring to use his own rudimentary method of carving stone using old nails and pieces of glass.
Lamb was commissioned to sculpt a bust of Robert Burns by the Sunderland Burns club, which was founded circa 1804.
Robert Burns Statue
What3Words: cabs.marker.posed
A statue of Robert Burns was created by William Birnie Rhind, circa 1882.
It is a ‘’pedestrian’’ statue of Robert Burns in stone upon a large moulded ashlar base with corner nook shafts, and figurative bas-reliefs in roll-molded panels on each side and carved foliage to cornice. The statue depicts Burns leaning against a tree stump cradling a book in hand.
In May 1882, a movement was started to raise funds for the erection of a statue to Burns, this was to form part of the Mid Links development situated in public gardens opposite Academy Square.
In 1883, Andrew Carnegie was invited to contribute towards erecting a statue of Burns in Montrose, Scotland. Although Carnegie only covered a small fraction of the monument’s cost (£20 out of £600 – it was paid for mainly by private subscription and fundraising). This appears to be his first contribution towards a monument to our famous Scottish bard.
Carnegie insisted that the New York sculpture should not be replicated. His wish was granted, and the statue was erected in the Mid Links in July 1912, then unveiled the same year by Carnegie. The statue was given status as a listed B category building in 1971.
Montrose Museum
What3Words: cowboys.salmon.communal
A place very worthy of a visit, and one which holds a vast array of historic artifacts of Montrose.
Robert Burns and Adam Christie artefacts are on display in the museum, including the 1707 Imperial Measure tankard which Burns and his friends were said to have drunk from in jest of the Union of the Crowns when they dined at the Turks Head.
The Adam Christie Collection saved by Montrose Burns Club is kept in the museum.
Burness House
What3Words: sulked.comedians.shades
Burness House was the home of James Burnes III (1780 – 1852). Known locally in the town at that time as simply Provost Burnes, he married Elizabeth Glegg on the 22nd April 1800. Elizabeth was the daughter of Adam Glegg, a merchant burgess and former Provost of Montrose.
James was a cousin to Robert Burns. James met with Robert on 12/13th September 1787 when Robert visited Montrose. They dined in the Turks Head Inn which was sited in School Wynd, now George Street.
The Stables in School Wynd
What3Words: teaches.books.reporting
At the foot of George Street (formerly School Wynd), sits a former church hall.
The St Andrews Church building, also known as George Street Free Church or St George’s Free Church. However back in 1787 it provided the stables where Robert Burns stabled his horse on his only overnight stay in Montrose.
Site of the Turks Head Inn
What3Words: animator.romantics.polishing
An old coaching inn, this plaque marks the spot of the Turk Head Inn. George Street was formerly called School Wynd when the Turk’s Head existed.
Burns, during his tour of the Highlands in 1787, stayed here on the 12/13 September, enjoying some “refreshments” at the Turks Head Inn. The Inn was owned by William Burness, another cousin of the Bard who had purchased the Turk’s Head Inn in 1783. We can only imagine the conversation and banter they enjoyed here.
Burns reputably drank in jest from Imperial Pint Measure whilst at the Turks Head Inn. This measure is now displayed at the Montrose Museum.
Ferryden Pier
What3Words: dock.streak.bulbs
After spending the night in the Turks Head Inn on 12 September 1787, Robert Burns left Montrose to continue his journey south to Auchmithie with his travelling companion William Nicol, where Burns was to breakfast.
At that time there was no bridge over the South Esk river and it is believed that Burns took the ferry boat from Montrose over to Ferryden and would have landed at this pier. The pier still exists today, similar to it would have been back then. Although there is no longer a ferry boat, the pier is used by the local community.
Arbikie Distillery
What3Words: hoaxes.manages.cashiers
After the Bards visit to Montrose in 1787 heading homewards, he and his companions trudged along the footpaths, through Arbikie farmland, overlooking Lunan Bay from atop the farmland hills.
At this time, like many farms in the area, Arbikie was a mixed arable farm, blessed with rich soil and crops, all naturally grown and fertilised by their own cattle herds.
The current site of Arbikie Distillery is situated overlooking the A92 which was the old drove road heading south from Montrose to Arbroath. It is most likely that Robert Burns took this route on his way south after his nights rest at the Turk’s Head Inn.
The distillery is open to the public, so perhaps you may wish to raise a toast to Robert Burns whilst you are here.
