The World O'er

From granite to bronze, from Scotland to New Zealand, the Bard's immortal image bridges nations and generations

- by ALEX WATSON

SCOTLAND has no shortage of Robert Burns statues. Ayr and Dumfries – the towns that lay claim to our national poet – chose to immortalise Burns in metal or stone. He can be found standing proudly or perched on a plinth in most Scottish cities, too: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee and Aberdeen.

And if you take a wander through Arbroath, Irvine, Paisley or Montrose, you will likely bump into the bard on your travels, and the town of Kilmarnock has two statues of Burns within a mile of each other.

But you might be surprised to learn that, all in all, Scotland's contribution accounts for fewer than 20 of around 60 Robert Burns statues that exist across the globe.

Some Scots would consider it novel to spot a carving of Robert Burns in Bathgate, never mind Boston. So why are there so many of them dotted so very far away from the country he called home?

Of course, the poet is as universally popular now as he was in the 19th century, appealing to a variety of ages, backgrounds, beliefs and temperaments.

Nonetheless, Kenny MacAskill's theory is that the tributes erected abroad during that period were less about the great man himself and more about the people commemorating him – mainly Scottish emigrants. “Burns is emblematic of Scotland,” he explains. “It wasn't just that they revered Burns, it was explaining who they were. They weren’t coming back to Scotland — especially those who had gone to America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia — and it was a way of saying: this is our new home; these are the people that we are.”