I went to a Burns supper at The Gannet with haggis, poetry and whisky

When people talk about Robert Burns and Glasgow, it’s often about the personal connection he made with the city. He was not a frequent visitor but he did find friends, sponsors, allies and lovers in Glasgow.

There’s a plaque on Argyle Street marking where the Black Bull Inn once stood, close to Trongate - Burns is known to have stayed there on at least two of his five known visits to Glasgow between 1787 and 1791. It was here that an old seafaring friend from Irvine, Richard Brown, first raised the the idea of being a poet in print with Burns. It’s also said that he took rooms at the Saracen's Head Inn at the Gallowgate, a noted tavern on the eastern approach into the city.

Glasgow has been more important in the years after the life of the poet, preserving and shaping his legacy. Glasgow’s folk scene has helped set his verses to music, preserving his words and taking them out into the wider world.

The Mitchell Library’s Robert Burns Collection is one of the largest, most wide-ranging and growing collections of books on Burns in the world. It also contains original manuscripts. It is a popular focus for research for Burns fans everywhere.

The city also plays its part on Burns Night, participating in the rituals of poetry, whisky, food and drink that are associated with his immortal memory. Thankfully, these evenings are usually unshackled from much of the straightjacket of tradition that has hijacked the celebration of one of Scotland’s most unfettered spirits. It’s a night to enjoy your food, your whisky and hear some stories.

On Argyle Street - a fair bit further along from where Rabbie would once have had his own nights out - we went to The Gannet for their Burns supper, presented with Fettercairn Whisky Distillery.