Rabbie Burns made two [recorded] visits to Stirlingshire. Of these visits, the most definitive account was published in 1899:
Betty Black’s Inn. ‘PH’ bottom left, off Brook Street First OS map
It was recorded that during his stay in Alva, that Rabbie Burns passed the night in Courthill House. But, locally, this was not felt to be the case:
This family sampler was stitched in 1814 by Susannah Rutherfoord of Keirfield, Bridge of Allan. Susannah’s father was David Rutherfoord, ‘D.R.’ and her mother was Margaret Black, ‘M.B.’ who was sister to Betty Black, also known as Burns’ ‘Lucky’ or ‘Braw Betty’:
This parish record, from 1754, records the marriage the parents of Betty and Margaret: John Black was Butler to the Earl of Glencairn, Dean Castle, Kilmarnock. It was the Earl of Glencairn who financed the first publication of Rabbie Burns poems.
It seem likely that John Black’s employment as Butler to the Earl of Glencairn is what brought the Black family to Stirlingshire from Ayrshire.
This article was printed in 1902:
This three part series was printed in 1905:
Short films by Peter Scott-Gordon on Rabbie Burns:
[To read what histoty has recorded of Fair Eliza, please click here]
To write in the dialect of his country:
The laird of Asloss and Slidderybraes:
