[Originally Posted on VisitScotland.com: http://www.visitscotland.com/about/robert-burns/footsteps]

Find out more about Robert Burns’ fascinating life as you explore his former homes and discover captivating collections in museums dedicated to the famous poet.

Discover the intriguing life of Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns, as you explore the landmarks that inspired his work and museums dedicated to his life.

Travel to Ayrshire & Arran and see where the famous Scottish poet was born. Spend a day at the fantastic Robert Burns Birthplace Museum which houses the biggest and most important Burns collection in the world, including his writing set, pistols and even a cast of his skull.

The extensive museum is set in 10 acres of beautiful countryside in Alloway and the site includes a collection of buildings and landmarks that are all connected to the poet’s life, including Burns’ Cottage where he was born in 1759, the Burns Monument and Brig O’ Doon, from his famous poem Tam O’ Shanter. You can visit the home of Souter Johnnie, who was immortalised in this famous poem, in Kirkoswald.

Other Burns attractions in Ayrshire include the Bachelors’ Club in Tarbolton, the 17th century thatched cottage where Burns established his debating club, and the Burns House Museum in Mauchline where Robert Burns lived and worked between 1784 and 1788.

Take a trip to Dumfries & Galloway and follow in Burns’ footsteps as he moved to the region with his family in 1788. Visit his former home Ellisland Farm, which is now a museum, and see some of his original writings and possessions.

In Dumfries, you can also spend an afternoon at Burns’ final home, Robert Burns House, on the aptly named Burns Street. Discover the famous Kilmarnock and Edinburgh editions of Burns’ work and take a look around the study where he wrote some of his best-loved poems.

Just around the corner you can enjoy a drink and an informative tour at The Globe Inn, Burns’ local ‘howff’ or pub, where you will see his old chair in the bar but beware – if you sit on it you have to either recite a line from one of his poems or buy all the other customers a drink!

In Edinburgh, you can visit the Writers’ Museum and learn more about the poet in a permanent Robert Burns collection which is recognised to have national significance. Admire the museum’s collection of portraits of Burns and see the writing desk from his Dumfries home at which he wrote some of his best-known work.