sections:

Robert Fergusson Cotter's Saturday Night - Wilkie Painting Cotter's Saturday Night - Etching Cotter's Saturday Night - Re-Enactment Tam O'Shanter - Scene Inside Kirk Tam O'Shanter - Witch Chasing Tam Tam O'Shanter - An Audio Clip Tam O'Shanter - Souter Johnny's Thatched House Tam O'Shanter - Brig O'Doon Other Works - Poem On Glass Pane Other Works - 'Macpherson's Farewell'

Framed engraving of 'Tam 0'Shanter'

Robert Burns [1759-96) Scotland's National Poet was born in Alloway, Ayrshire and during his short lifetime was to write a wealth of songs and poems. This engraving depicts a scene from his epic comic tale of 'Tam 0'Shanter' which was set only half a mile from his birthplace in Alloway.

The poem describes the story of the drunken farmer Tam 0'Shanter who rode off from the alehouse in Ayr to his home over the River Doon. On stopping at the ruined Kirk Alloway Tam disturbed witches dancing and he was chased on to the bridge where the witches pulled the tail off his grey mare.

This engraving by J. Scott in 1845 depicts Tam 0'Shanter on his grey mare Meg being pursued over the Brig 0'Doon in Alloway. Today ruined Kirk Alloway and the Brig 0'Doon still stand having been immortalized in this famous poem. Burns based the character of Tam on a local farmer named Douglas Graham.

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