Moods to Love: Your Own Robert Burns Night

The 25th of January is approaching. To many people, this date comes and goes with little thought. However, if you’re a literary person with a penchant for all things Scottish (Tartans, and Chieftains, and Bagpipes, Oh, My!), or simply a Scottish person who takes the traditions of their nation to heart, then the 25th is much more than just a day. It is the birthday of the nation’s most celebrated bard, Robert Burns. 

I have been a fan of Robert Burns for decades now. So when the 25th comes round, I crack open my well-loved edition of Burns poetry and do my best to observe the day. 

With all the upheaval in the world, I am certain that the traditional observances of Robbie Burns’ night are not happening. Large gatherings seem to be frowned on for the most part. However, just because the usual is not happening this year doesn’t mean that all festivities must be abandoned. 

That’s what I’m writing about today. How do we condense the traditions of a Robbie Burns’ night so that we can have a bit of Scottish fun in our own living rooms? 

Let’s be honest. For the bulk of us, the traditional fare and festivities of a Robbie Burns night are not within our grasp. However, if you’re feeling the yen to celebrate that most celebrated Scottish poet, there are a few things you can surely do to create the mood. 

It comes as no surprise that the instrument most commonly associated with Scotland is the bagpipes. And while bagpipes are rousing in their sound, a steady diet of piece after piece with their piping predominant can get taxing. 

But just as ingrained into the heritage of Scotland as the bagpipes is the fiddle. And what better accompaniment for your Robbie Burns’ night affair with than the two time winner of the Scottish National Fiddle Championship, Alasdair Fraser. 

One of my favorite albums to listen to is his Legacy of the Fiddle Volume 2. This album is a compilation of tunes attributes to the life and land of Robert Burns. Many of them are actually the music that accompanied Burns’ poems. For your listening pleasure, here’s the link to the playlist I compiled of both Volume One and Two of Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle. 

If you’re not feeling like dipping your toe into the ‘To Haggis or Not To Haggis’ debate, that’s perfectly understandable. Haggis is an acquired taste, and, depending on where you live, may be hard to come by. So, with a recitation of Robbie Burns’ To a Haggis, let’s put aside the bloody pudding, shall we? 

There’s a variety of fare you can make and be certain you’ll enjoy. Potatoes are a hearty and traditional fare at a Burns’ Night. Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, cook ‘em in a stew (any Hobbit fans out there?). I’ll leave the preparation method up to you. I enjoy cutting my tatties (as the Scotch would say) into one inch cubes, tossing them with a wee bit of olive oil and spices (a blend of garlic, smoked paprika, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper), and crisping them up in my air fryer for 20 minutes (or you could use your oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, too). 

Another staple that’s easily made is a bannock. Bannock is a sort of Scotch flatbread made in a heavy skillet. While the traditional Scotch bannock is made with oat flour or barley flour, due to readily available wheat flours, a good all purpose flour will suffice. I happen to enjoy this recipe the most. It’s simple, made with ingredients we usually have on hand, and entirely a tip to the Scotch bard on his night. Serve it warm with a charcuterie board of your favorite cheeses and jams. 

If bannock is not something you want to tackle, that’s why God invented oatcakes. As I’m a rather huge fan of both oatmeal and pancakes, oatcake pancakes are my personal cup of tea. My favorite recipe is from Frugal HausFrau and you can find the oatcake recipe here. I recommend them highly. AND, if you’re looking to make a full day affair of Robert Burns’ birthday, you could start your day out with them.

And then there’s shortbread. Such an unassuming cookie. So plain. And yet, when made well, it stands peerless. I’m sharing my mother’s smashingly delicious shortbread recipe with you today if you feel inclined to don your apron and brandish your rolling pin. However, while I recommend giving this recipe a try, I also highly recommend Walkers Shortbread cookies. They are available at most grocery stores or you can order them online. They are just thing to balance on your sauce beside a rich cup of Scottish Breakfast Tea.

As I’ve just mentioned Scottish Breakfast Tea, let’s start there. The brew strength of Scottish breakfast is between English and Irish Breakfast. Interestingly enough, the traditional recipes of Assam and Kenyan teas were blended to brew best in Scotland’s soft water. There are numerous brands you can buy. As Amazon has made things much more readily available, I recommend Taylors of Harrogate’s Scottish Breakfast tea or Edinburgh Tea and Coffee Company has a Highland Blend that’s rather fun. And, of course, there’s always the Whisky Flavored Tea. 

And speaking of Whisky, let’s talk Scotch. It’s impossible to have a Burns’ Night celebration without Scotch. And, as with wine or bourbon or even vodka, Scotches are varied in strength and flavor. And, remember, whenever you’re toasting in Scotland, to wish those around you Slainte Mhath, which is Gallic for To Your Health.

If you’re just dipping your toe into the flavors of Scotch, I recommend you start with Johnnie Walker Red or Black Label. Johnnie Walker has made its name by being one of the best at blending single malt and grain whiskies from all over Scotland. So, if you’re not certain where to start, Johnnie Walker is a good place. (I’ll also put a punt in there for Chivas Regal as I find them to be a very satisfying blended scotch.)

However, while Johnnie Walker is the a name recognizable far and wide, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Isle of Islay. 

The Isle of Islay is known as Whisky Island as the small rugged isle off the southwestern coast of the mainland is home to some of the boldest flavors on the Scotch palette. Some of the biggest names comes from Islay as well as some of lesser known ones. My husband’s personal favorite single malt comes from Islay- Laphroaig. While I find Laphroaig to be too peaty for my taste, I will admit to having a tender spot in my heart for one of its neighbors, Bunnahabhain. This single malt is not as well known as Laphroaig, but is one worthy of trying. 

And, perhaps the most famous- but who really knows- to come from Islay is Lagavulin. If you’re a fan of Harrison Ford, you may have seen this bottle in one or more of his movies. Scotch connoisseur that he is, Harrison Ford is usually seen in his films drinking Lagavulin or a single malt of equal eminence. Now, Lagavulin’s price, like Bunnahabhain, is not cheap. You could be looking at anywhere between $70-$100 based on location and variety.   

I’m including these two links to articles found on Liquor.com. What You Need to Know About Every Distillery on Islay goes into detail about the history of Scotch on Islay and well as the handful of distilleries to visit (or bottles to try). The 9 Best Cheap Scotches to Try in 2021 is a pretty self-explanatory title. I enjoyed this article because the descriptions of the scotches by connoisseur, Flavin Desoblin, are very informative and beautiful, and do far more justice to the libation that I could.

But, if you’re not a straight up kinda person, please check out my post from two years ago, How to Throw a Burns Night Celebration, where I include a cocktail recipe named after one of Burns’ poems, Tam O’Shanter. I will add that there is also the Rob Roy and the Robert Burns cocktails. There’s even a Royal Balmoral Punch that serves up beautifully in tea cups and is made with all sorts of goodies and topped with champagne. I guess it deserves to be rather grand and complicated when it’s named after a palace. You can find recipes for those cocktails on the Scotland board in my Whiskers on Kittens Pinterest account. 

And, if you’re looking for a wee bit of educational fun, here’s a link to YouTube playlist full of videos where the actor Brian Cox, a robust Scot, takes you through the proper pronunciation of all the different Scotches of Scotland. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to pronounce Caol Ila, Bunnhabhain, or Bruichladdich, Brian Cox’s How to Pronounce Scotches has you covered.

Let’s not forget what brought us here. Robert Burns’ poetry. On this front I have you fully covered. Here’s a link to a post I did that is full of Robbie’s writings, Scot, Wha Hae Wi’ Burns Read. And, because I love to be read to (I think it reminds me of my youth), I have links to videos where his poetry is recited with some wonderful graphics. 

Now, by all means, don a tartan, dance a reel, or adopt a Scottish brogue for the evening. But above all, make merry. Have fun. Robbie Burns would approve of that.

And, because I generally enjoy a film in the evenings as a way of relaxing, here’s a link to a post which compiles several movies that are a perfect pairing with an evening in Scotland.