BURNS IN DUMFRIESSHIRE
On the 2nd November 2023 a Burns Development Day, supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council, brought together the various key stakeholders engaged in Burns-related tourism and cultural development in Dumfriesshire.
There was a general consensus that more could be done to work collaboratively together in maximising the positive impact Burn’s legacy has on the local visitor economy. There was a strong desire to move from discussion to action and the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) was encouraged to move very quickly in supporting this.
A six-month action plan was created, the spirit of which was what could we achieve in six months if we all worked together, with the resources we already collectively have. It is informed by: the discussions on the 2nd November, digital input gathered after the meeting, and the various previous reports and recommendations compiled.
On 11th June, the SSDA hosted a senior stakeholder roundtable meeting in Dumfries to share updates and learning from the last six months and agree the next steps (short, medium and long-term) in unlocking the economic potential of Burns in Dumfries and Nithsdale.
After six months we are in a far stronger position to identify and create longer term positive outcomes. SSDA are now drafting a proposal for next steps which will shortly be shared with all Stakeholders for comment.
Read the Six-Month Action Plan
BURNS TOURISM PARTNERSHIP
The Burns Tourism Partnership aims to celebrate Dumfriesshire’s unparalleled connections to Robert Burns, as the region where the poet lived, composed and performed during some of the most prolific years of his life.
- D&G Council
- Dumfries Town Team
- Dynamically Different Dumfries (DPAG)
- D&G Chamber
- SOSE
- VisitScotland
- University of Glasgow
- The Globe and Burns Quarter
- Ellisland Museum & Farm
- Wigtown Book Festival
- Big Burns Supper
- Theatre Royal
- Cairndale Hotel
- The Crichton Trust
- The Loreburn Hall
- Moat Brea
- St Michael’s Church
- Midsteeple Quarter
- SSDA
Six-month update
Presentation to Stakeholders 11th June 24
Media Coverage
January 2024
See results for press coverage received for Hogmanay and Burns Night releases
Robert Burns Landing Page
on Scotland Starts Here
Burns: from Birthplace to Burial
We welcomed Scotland’s Stories, Graeme Johncock and Molly the Labrador (the Barketing Manager!), to the South of Scotland in May 2024 to immerse himself in our Robert Burns experience. Read his blog here.
Stories Start Here
Literary Tourism is recognised for bringing numerous benefits to destinations and the communities involved, as well as the dissemination of the region’s intangible heritage. Initiatives such as the European collaboration “Spot Lit” and studies including Scotland’s Literary Heartlands highlighted the South of Scotland’s strengths as a literary tourism destination. From the storytelling traditions of the…
