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Our midweek Scotland Outdoors podcast this week featured Dr Valentina Bold, a researcher of Scottish culture and of the works of Robert Burns. We feature some clips from the podcast throughout the programme as Valentina tells Mark and Euan about some of her favourite works of Burns including A Red, Red Rose and Now Westlin’ Winds.

And as we focus on our National Bard this weekend, our lockdown walk comes from his old stomping ground of Dumfries. Our ´óÏó´«Ã½ Newsonline colleague Giancarlo Rinaldi takes us on one of his regular walking routes in the town.

Euan turns his hand to poetry in homage to Robert Burns.

We speak live to Professor Gerard Carruthers, director of the Robert Burns Centre at the University of Glasgow and a trustee of Ellisland Farm. Burns built the farm in 1788 and it was the place he wrote some of his most famous works. Like a lot of visitor attractions over the past year, Ellisland has struggled for funding. Gerard tells us about its historical importance as well as the trust’s plans to ensure its future.

Written at Ellisland and one of Burns’ most famous poems, the epic Tam O’ Shanter is a favourite worldwide. This week Mark turns his hand to reciting the two hundred and twenty odd lines that Burns apparently wrote in one day.

Even Robert Burns doesn’t get in the way of mystery bird. Euan has another challenge for us.

And our archive piece comes from a visit we made last year to The Globe Inn in Dumfries- one of Burns’ favourite drinking establishments where we met former landlady and Burns enthusiast, Maureen McKerrow.