Robert Burns' birthplace in Alloway

Yesterday (Good Friday), my wife Claire, youngest son Jamie and I made a journey to Alloway in south Ayrshire, to do the Robert Burns birthplace tour, visiting the new birthplace museum, the cottage where the national bard was born, Alloway Auld Kirk (where the poem Tam o' Shanter was set), and the famous Brig o' Doon.

To find out how we got on, to see some pictures, to discover what we made of it all - and to find how I finally made peace with the bard! - please visit my other blog at https://scotlandsgreateststory.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/robert-burns-birthplace-alloway-ayrshire/.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

The curse of Loughmourne

This one's for the good folk of County Antrim! I've just been going through my late mum's papers and have found a printed copy of an anonymous poem about Loughmourne, an area situated a couple of miles north of my old home town of Carrickfergus. For a transcription of the poem, and some background to the area that it concerns, visit my other wee blog at http://walkingineternity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-curse-of-loughmourne_29.html

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Records online course starts on November 5th, and runs for 5 weeks, priced at £45.99. Spaces are still available - see http://pharostutors.com/coursedescriptions.php#302