If you’re not Scottish, Burns Night might be a bit of a mystery to you. It’s celebrated every year on the 25th of January in honour of our national poet, Robert Burns (1759 – 1796).

Known for works such as Tam o' Shanter, A Red, Red Rose, and perhaps most famously Auld Lang Syne, he was recently voted 'the Greatest Scot' of all time and even has a crater on Mercury named after him! He remains one of the leading poets to write in Scots, a Germanic language which developed from Anglo-Saxon alongside English. He also wrote a lot in Standard Scottish English.

It’s made of lamb pluck. That’s the heart, liver and lung, mixed with a blend of oatmeal, onions, suet, seasoning and spices. Traditionally this would be stuffed into the stomach and cooked. Nowadays, synthetic casings are often used.

This was a great way to use up parts of the lamb which aren’t as desirable as the chops and roasts and also spoil faster. It’s a warming, nutritious meal for farmers, shepherds and anyone else who spent a lot of time in the Scottish outdoors. 

It’s often described as being a sort of crumbly sausage, similar to black pudding. The oatmeal makes the texture quite different and provides a very filling meal. It adds an earthiness to the sweet lamb flavour, which is complemented by the rich spices. All of this makes a deliciously warming meal which is bursting with flavour.

If you'd like to give our haggis a try, you'll find some of Chef Eddie's recipes below.

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In 1801, on the fifth anniversary of Burns’ death, his friends decided to hold a meal in his honour – and what else would they serve but the dish he’d famously written a poem about – haggis.

Since then, people in Scotland and across the world have celebrated on the 25th of January with a Burns Supper. The biggest, most formal events follow this structure.

Piping in guests – a bagpiper greets the guests with traditional tunes.

Host's welcoming speech

Selkirk Grace

Some hae meat an canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat, and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit.

Soup course - normally a Scottish soup, such as Scotch broth, tattie soup, Cullen skink, or cock-a-leekie, is served to kick off the meal.

Dessert – this is often a traditional Scottish recipe such as cranachan or tipsy laird.

Toasts – as guests enjoy coffee or tea, several toasts are given. Often in Scots.

Immortal memory

The host gives a brief speech on some element of Burns’ life or works. Often light-hearted, it can include the recitation of one of his poems. A toast to the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns then follows.

Address to the Lassies- originally a chance to thank the women who had prepared the meal, this is now much broader and tends to be fun and light-hearted.

Reply to the Laddies - A female guest will reply to points raised in the last speech. These are often both written together to allow this interaction. Works by Burns

After the speeches there may be songs by Burns and more poetry.

Finally, the host will ask one of the guests to give a brief thank you to everyone involved.

Then, as is the tradition for these events, everyone is asked to stand, join hands, and sing Auld Lang Syne together to close the night on a high note.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, many people might have some friends round to enjoy a meal of haggis with no formality or speeches to be seen. Everyone can enjoy it in their own way.