Kirkyard

Last Iconic Burns posting:

I hadn't had time to get a proper look at the atmospheric lighting in the kirkyard on the way along, as I didn't want to miss the start of the fireworks/performance, so I went for a look on the way back to the shuttle bus.

It was very well done, very atmospheric and beautiful.

Iconic Burns - Flaming Torches and Fireworks

The band kept us entertained throughout the procession and there were stalls on either side of the route too with entertainment such as the "Brig Issue" seller, tattooist, singers and more.



It was a really cold evening (cars were covered in frost by the end and the ground was frozen and slippy) but the torchlit procession was warm! It was amazing how much heat came off the torches - and you really noticed the difference when you got to the end of that part of the evening and the torches were extinguished.



Then everyone split into 3 groups to go to the viewing areas. Where you went depended on the colour of the wristband which you were given at registration.

This is roughly the view from one of the viewing areas - on the modern bridge looking straight up the river to the auld brig.


I was in a viewing area in a muddy field - we had a pretty good view still.

The lighting at the end was really clever - it looked like the mare was galloping over the bridge carrying Tam to safety.

It was a really well organised event - everything seemed to run very smoothly and there were plenty of stewards everywhere.

Burns Cottage

At the start of the Iconic Burns event, while people were registering, getting their coloured wristbands and waiting for the parade to start there was some entertainment. There were some folk in costume, and each of the windows of Burns Cottage had a scene inside it with characters acting out the parts and interacting with the crowd peering in through the windows at them.

First there is Burns as a Twinkle in his father's eye:


Then there is 250 years ago - 24th January 1759 (as the Iconic Burns event was 24th January)


And finally the poet makes his debut:

Tam O'Shanter

This is a closer view of the statue of Tam O'Shanter which was specially made for the Iconic Burns event. It's a metal frame covered in polythene - it doens't look like much when flash photography is used as that destroys the lighting effects - and it was the lighting that made the statue so effective.



The procession started outside Burns Cottage in Alloway and followed behind Tam O'Shanter. The statue was stopped under each Bridge of flowers over the road - the bridges then lit up and the statue was turned so everyone got a good view of it.

The lights on the three bridges said "Tam O'Shanter", "Homecoming 2009" and "Auld Lang Syne". Sadly there was no massed singing of Auld Lang Syne as had been 'promised' in the initial advertising. In fact, the initial advertising for the event was not very accurate at all - but it was a great event, well worth going to.

Videos from Iconic Burns

The first one shows Tam o'Shanter on the Auld Brig on his mare, Maggie, with the witch grabbing her tail. Look for Burns' face on the side of the bridge - it was done with fireworks and gradually appeared - totally amazing!




The fireworks were really good (as you'll see in the 2nd video) - and synchronised with the music. At one point there was a lone piper (I think on top of the Burns Monument) playing A Man's A Man which was very atmospheric.