University news

 

He was a ploughman and a poet. But also a keen observer of the natural world.

Today, Burns’s creative and practical engagement with the environment as a writer and farmer, and his profound connection to the land, offers a unique lens through which to view modern environmental challenges.

Now – thanks to funding from the University of Glasgow in recognition of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its leading Burns scholars – the Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS) will delve deeper into the bard’s environmental consciousness through an innovative three-year PhD research studentship.

The University of Glasgow was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education in February 2024 for the work of the world’s leading Centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education.

Dr Pauline Mackay, the Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies based at the University’s College of Arts & Humanities said: “Robert Burns painted vivid portraits of a landscape he knew intimately as both a poet and a farmer; its topography, flora, fauna and wildlife. From ‘To a Mouse’ to the powerful natural imagery of ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, Burns’s poetry and song was inspired by nature, but he also shaped his environment in very practical ways.

“In recent months the Centre has hosted research workshops and conference panels with academics, industry, artists and cultural heritage partners to contemplate Burns’s engagement with and impact on his natural surroundings, and the ways in which this should be reflected in present day commemorations and celebrations of Burns, as part of a sustainable approach to Burnsian heritage.”

Dr Ronnie Young, Associate Director of the Centre, added: “As our society grapples with pressing environmental challenges, Burns’s writings offer a valuable perspective on sustainable relationships between humans and nature. His verse not only frequently celebrates local ecosystems and biodiversity but also raises questions about our role as stewards of the environment and issues that remain startlingly relevant more than two centuries later. The new PhD position will help us to further explore Burns’s ecological outlook, his reflections on ‘man’s dominion’ and ‘nature’s social union’, and indeed his impact on later environmental thought.

“That impact has been significant. It’s known that Burns influenced a range of later nature writers from William Wordsworth to John Muir, the Scots-born naturalist and founder of the US National Parks. Muir carried Burns’s works into the American wilderness with him, and in areas such as California’s Sierra mountains, the naturalist would turn to Burns for inspiration.”

The Centre for Robert Burns Studies’ new PhD research position is therefore particularly timely.

Professor Jo Gill, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Arts & Humanities said: “The Centre for Robert Burns Studies has been at the forefront of encouraging modern approaches to Burns scholarship. This new focus on Burns’s environmental legacy reflects our ongoing commitment to reinterpreting his work in light of contemporary challenges. By fostering an environment that supports early career researchers, we ensure that fresh perspectives continue to emerge, allowing us to explore Burns’s relevance in new ways for today’s audiences and future generations.”

The Centre will launch this new research focus at the University’s upcoming Global Burns 2025 event on Tuesday 28 January at 6pm GMT. The online event will feature leading Burns scholars including Dr Mackay, Dr Young, Professor Nigel Leask and Dr Clark McGinn dcussing the poet’s creative and practical engagement with the environment, exploring how his creativity was influenced by nature and what his insights might mean for contemporary environmental concerns. 

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The Centre for Robert Burns Studies

The Centre for Robert Burns Studies (CRBS) is the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns (1759-96), his contexts and associated literatures. Establishing itself as a cross-disciplinary area of research excellence which has attracted major financial and intellectual investment, CRBS has brought together the largest concentration of Burns experts in the world and their work has impact on a global scale. In February 2024, CRBS was awarded a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for the work of the world’s leading centre for the study of Scotland’s national poet. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes celebrate excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities. The Prizes are the highest national Honour awarded in UK further and higher education and are granted every two years.

Robert Burns

Robert Burns (1759-1796) was born in Alloway on 25 January. He was the eldest son of tenant farmers. Burns managed to publish his first collection in the summer of 1786 –at the  age of 27. Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was the result of an incredible poetic outpouring between 1784 and 1786. It was made up of all manner of works, including works like ‘To a Mouse’, ‘To a Mountain Daisy’, and ‘Composed in August’ which reflected Burns’s upbringing, his connection to rural life, and his wider views on the relationship between nature and humanity. In 1788, Burns built Ellisland Farm outside of the town of Dumfries for his wife Jean Armour and their family. Burns chose Ellisland for its beautiful setting beside the River Nith. It has changed little since the 18th century and remains today the most authentic of all his homes. Burns was especially creative at Ellisland, writing a quarter of his songs and poems including ‘Auld Lang Syne’; ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ and ‘A Red, Red Rose’.  

Global Burns: Burns and the Environment 

Tuesday 28 January 2025 at 6pm-7pm, Online.

Join the Queen's Anniversary Prize-winning Centre for Robert Burns Studies as they explore Burns’s creative and practical engagement with the environment, as both writer and improving farmer. Panellists including Professor Nigel Leask, Dr Pauline Mackay, Dr Clark McGinn and Dr Ronnie Young will share their thoughts on this important emerging research from the Centre for Robert Burns Studies and look forward to answering questions from our worldwide audience of University of Glasgow alumni and Burns enthusiasts. 

The event is free but you must book you place on the Global Burns website.

First published: 24 January 2025