Burns’ House Museum, Mauchline

Andrew Bell and Ian Lyell of the Mauchline Burns Club were kind enough to invite Ian Howat (chair of New Cumnock Liaison Group) and Bobby Guthrie ( New Cumnock Auld Kirk and Village Heritage Trail project leader) to the Robert Burns House Museum, Mauchline to share their experiences on the wonderful work undertaken at Mauchline Kirkyard, where many of Burns’ contemporaries rest.

Ian Lyell, Ian Howat and Bobby Guthrie with the Mauchline Kirkyard plan

Although a native of Mauchlie, Mr Lyell will be well known to many New Cumnockians having taught in schools there for many years. Here he is showing the location plan of notable headstones in the kirkyard.

Andy Bell, Ian Howat and Ian Lyell

Ian Lyell points out a headstone of interest to Ian Howat, while Andy Bell looks over teh  resting place of Willie Fisher ‘Holy Willie’ .

Gavin Hamilton’s resting place

Gavin Hamilton’s resting place illustrates the use of the grave markers detailing name, year of birth to year of death , significance to Burns and the coding letter ‘U’ for use on the location map. The cobbles round the headstone have been place there purposefully to prevent damage from strimmers or chemical sprays used in the maintenance of the kirkyard.  ( Check out Gavin Hamilton’s link with New Cumnock here ).

Gravemarkers

The use of gravemarkers is well illustrated and ties in well with the theme of ‘blue plaques’  in the Mauchline Burns Club Trail in the village.

A big thank you to Andy and Ian and the Mauchline Burns’ Club

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’, a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.