Night at the Museum celebrates Scotland’s national bard

VisitScotland Burns Night logo.‌To celebrate Burns Night, The Hunterian at the University of Glasgow will host a special Night at the Museum event on Friday 22 January from 7.00pm – 10.00pm.

This exciting event is suitable for all ages and follows on from the highly successful Night at the Museum: Exploration and Inspiring Scots which took place at the Hunterian Museum in November to celebrate St Andrew’s Day.

Join us at The Hunterian for a unique celebration of Scotland’s national poet, inspired by related historic collections, memorabilia and current research at the University of Glasgow.

Historically, the University of Glasgow has always had close links with Robert Burns and today, its Centre for Robert Burns Studies is the world’s only research unit dedicated to the study of Scotland’s national bard.

Night at the Museum: Robert Burns offers the opportunity to see The Hunterian’s world class displays at night, set against a ‘sinister’ lighting backdrop, film and image projections, live music performances, poetry readings and access to heritage items not normally on show. Visitors can also enjoy refreshments and a pop-up shop.

The Hunterian is Scotland’s oldest public museum and its collections are rich in items of great Scottish cultural significance.

Night at the Museum has received support as part of the Scotland’s Winter Festivals programme of events.

Night at the Museum: Robert Burns
Friday 22 January 2016
7.00pm - 10.00pm
Hunterian Museum
Admission free - booking required

Follow us and tweet @AboutScotland @hunterian using #BurnsNight2016

Book your place via Eventbrite.


Notes to Editors

Scotland’s Winter Festivals

Scotland’s Winter Festivals, which runs from November until the end of January, is a Scottish Government initiative delivered in partnership with VisitScotland and a wide range of other organisations. Through the celebration of our three national days – St Andrews Day, Hogmanay and Burns Night. Scotland’s Winter Festivals aims to boost Scotland's economy and international profile and also enhance community engagement through a programme of funded and partner events.

Burns Night

1. Burns, our national bard, is one of Scotland’s favourite icons encapsulating the very essence that makes Scots Scottish – creative, proud and confident.
2. Robert Burns, or ‘Rabbie’ as he is affectionately known, was born in Alloway, South Ayrshire, in 1732. He began writing poetry and songs at an early age and became famous across Scotland for his writings. 
3. After his death at the age of just 37, Rabbie’s works became internationally renowned and to this day, people from all corners of the world sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to bring in the New Year. 
4. Every year on Burns’ birthday, 25 January, Scots and Scots at heart from across the globe celebrate his life in a variety of traditional ways, including addressing the haggis, toasting the lassies and a reciting of the Selkirk Grace.
5. More information about how to celebrate Burns’ Day and the life of the Bard himself can be found at www.scotland.org/burns

The Hunterian

The Hunterian is one of the world's leading University museums and one of Scotland’s greatest cultural assets. Built on Dr William Hunter’s founding bequest, The Hunterian collections include scientific instruments used by James Watt, Joseph Lister and Lord Kelvin; outstanding Roman artefacts from the Antonine Wall; major natural and life sciences holdings; Hunter’s own extensive anatomical teaching collection; one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections and impressive ethnographic objects from Captain Cook’s Pacific voyages.

The Hunterian is also home to one of the most distinguished public art collections in Scotland and features the world’s largest permanent display of the work of James McNeill Whistler, the largest single holding of the work of Scottish artist, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 – 1928) and The Mackintosh House, the reassembled interiors from his Glasgow home.

For further information or images contact: Harriet Gaston, Communications Manager, The Hunterian.

First published: 15 January 2016