When we launched the Saving the Home of Auld Lang Syne campaign and our specially commissioned film introducing people to the place where Robert Burns wrote the world’s most famous song, we hoped people would connect with Ellisland’s story.
The interest has exceeded all our expectations, with our story travelling far and wide.
The Herald, our media partner, ran two substantial articles championing the campaign and Ellisland’s significance. Their support has been invaluable in helping us reach people who care deeply about Scotland’s cultural heritage.
By the morning of 28th November, the story of our campaign was being told across national television, radio, and print. Broadcast crews came to Ellisland itself, capturing the farm and landscape that inspired Burns, and also filming areas of damage to the historic buildings – damage that we desperately want to repair.
Our Project Director Joan McAlpine appeared on news programmes and radio shows, speaking about the urgent need and the creative vision behind the project. The Press Association’s coverage placed Ellisland in newspapers across the UK and Ireland, reaching readers who might never have heard of this Dumfriesshire farm, but who sing Auld Lang Syne every Hogmanay. And for our members of staff, waking up to hear news bulletins on BBC 2’s Scott Mills Breakfast Show was a particular highlight!
The journalists we have spoken with over the last week have asked thoughtful, probing questions about the project’s ambitions, the collection’s significance, the economic impact on Dumfries and Galloway, and how we plan to make Ellisland sustainable for future generations. We have had so many conversations about why this place matters.
People care about this story. They care that the place where Auld Lang Syne was written is at risk. And they care that we’re trying to build a sustainable future for this place, rooted in Burns’s legacy.
Duncan Dornan, Chair of the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust, commented: “The response this week has been extraordinary, and it reflects the tireless work Joan and her team have put into developing this project. The ability to communicate Ellisland’s importance with skill, passion and absolute clarity of purpose – not just as heritage to be preserved, but as a living, creative place with real potential – has been inspiring.”
Thank you to every journalist who told our story thoughtfully and well. Thank you to everyone who watched, listened, read, shared, and donated.
We have a long road ahead to reach our £12 million goal, but this week has shown us we’re not walking it alone.
Watch the campaign film and find out how you can support Ellisland at ellislandfarm.co.uk/donate
Links to a selection of the media coverage are below.
The Herald: The campaign to save the home of ‘world’s most famous song’
The Herald: Campaign to save Burns site of ‘critical importance’
BBC: Campaigners trying to save home of Auld Lang Syne
The National: £12m bid to rescue Dumfries farm home to Robert Burns
The Telegraph: Fight to save farm where Robert Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne
London Evening Standard: Farm where Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne ‘to be restored if £12m can be raised’
Scottish Field: Campaign to raise £12m to save farm where Robert Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne
The Globe and Mail (Canada): Robert Burns charity launches $22-million fundraiser to restore his little-known Scottish farm