The toast to the immortal memory of Robert Burns was delivered by Professor Elaine McFarland.

Professor McFarland is chair of the Ayrshire Federation of Historical Societies. Author of “Planting the Green Bough – Ireland and Scotland in the Age of Revolution”, she set Burns in his historical context in her well-received oration.

The event is one of a series of themed events held throughout the year in Ayrshire Housing’s community space – The Local. The Local, appropriately in the shell of an old pub, has proved popular with a wide range of community groups and local charities since it opened in 2022. It has also created a new active public space on Main Street, Newton on Ayr.