This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
The first Burns supper was held in 1801, five years after the death of Scotland’s beloved poet, Robert Burns, setting a template that’s remained largely unchanged since: music, poetry, food, whisky. Held each year on or around 25 January (the writer’s birthday), Burns suppers traditionally begin with a reading of his poem, Selkirk Grace, along with a soup such as cullen skink.
Next, a platter of haggis is paraded around the room, often accompanied by a bagpiper, before being presented to ‘the addresser’, who then recites Burns’s poem, Address to a Haggis. After several courses and many whisky-fuelled toasts in between, the night is rounded off with a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Here’s where you can join in:
Cullen skink, a traditional Scottish soup gains its colour and taste from smoked haddock, potatoes and onion.
Photograph by Alarmy
The Globe Inn, Dumfries
The poet’s favourite howff (haunt), The Globe Inn understandably makes a huge affair of Burns Night. The 2025 event will include entertainment led by piper Callum Watson, as well as special guests from the Howff Club, a set of local Burns enthusiasts. There’ll also be a five-course feast with all the traditional toasts, including the Toast to the Lassies. 25 January; £65 per person.
Meldrum House, Aberdeenshire
Given its location, a mile from Glen Garioch Distillery, whisky is naturally a standout feature of the celebrations at Meldrum House hotel. There’s a Glen Garioch cocktail on arrival and a dram is served alongside the haggis, which itself comes doused in a sauce made with the distillery’s Founders Reserve whisky. A Highland dance performance is followed by a lively ceilidh band. 24 and 25 January; £70 per person.
Ubiquitous Chip, Glasgow
Expect a twist on tradition at the Ubiquitous Chip’s Beyond Burns event, where performers from the National Theatre of Scotland will present fresh interpretations of the bard’s works. On the menu there’s venison haggis, hogget shoulder with mussel ragu and seaweed broth and Arbroath smokie mousse with quail egg. The night isn’t a total snub to tradition, however — after dinner, there’s a ceilidh and a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. 23 January; £80 per person.
Prestonfield’s walls house a fascinating history, from its beginnings as a medieval monastery to opening its doors as a hotel in the 1960s.
Photograph by David Cheskin
Prestonfield House, Edinburgh
This hotel’s whitewashed exterior comes into its own on Burns Night, when it’s used as a canvas for a huge projected image of the poet to greet guests. The 2025 menu promises haggis with neeps and tatties, plus roast Angus beef with whisky-glazed carrots and, to finish it off, sticky toffee pudding with Drambuie butterscotch and clotted cream ice cream. Guest speakers will include broadcaster Jay Crawford and historian Ian Landles. 25 January; £85 per person.
Boisdale, London
Boisdale, the self-proclaimed ‘unofficial Scottish embassy in London’, located in an old Georgian townhouse in Belgravia, will combine its Burns festivities with the 35th anniversary of its opening. A week-long run of dinners will culminate with a Burns extravaganza on 25 January, with a piper to welcome guests and a live band playing traditional Scottish music. There will also be the Address to the Haggis and a five-course menu featuring Cullen skink croquettes, Balmoral estate venison tartare, mini roast haggis, baked halibut with Orkney razor clams, and Scottish shortbread. 20-25 January; £65 per person.
Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
The historic Grantley Hall, situated in rolling North Yorkshire countryside, stipulates a dress code that’s in keeping with the stately surroundings: strictly tartan and kilts or black tie. Dinner includes a classic four-course menu of Cullen skink, haggis, neeps and tatties, as well as a whisky cocktail on arrival and a nip of Glenmorangie 12-year-old Lasanta alongside the haggis toast. Throughout the evening there’ll be bagpipe performances, poems, songs and traditional ceilidh dancing. 23 January; £145 per person.
The Oarsman, Marlow
Well-heeled and quintessentially English, Marlow might not seem like the most obvious place for a Burns Night celebration – but over at The Oarsman, Glaswegian chef Scott Smith will be hosting a night where wine, whisky and Scottish food are the focus. The four-course menu includes Stornoway black pudding with tattie scone, trout and Arbroath smokie cullen skink, and Highland Park whisky baba served with Buckfast tonic wine. To drink there are wine pairings from the restaurant’s 300-strong list, plus whisky flights. 23 January; £60 per person.
The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, Crieff
The star of the Burns lunch at the two-Michelin-star restaurant of Perth and Kinross’s Glenturret Distillery is the house-made haggis, featuring malted barley and – of course – whisky. It also crops up on tasting menus periodically through the year in various forms, from haggis-stuffed grouse to haggis sandos, but Burns Night is its time to shine. The rest of the menu for this year’s three-course lunch is still to be confirmed, but guests can expect champagne, bagpipes and poetry, alongside a private distillery tour and tasting that includes a dram of 14-year-old limited-release Glenturret whisky. 25 January; £175 per person.
Published in the December 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller Food (UK).
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