Why Burns Night is big business for Scotland's economy Marketplace

This story was produced by our colleagues at the BBC.

Robert Burns is Scotland’s national poet — a renowned 18th-century lyricist whose works continue to resonate around the world. Auld Lang Syne is one of his most famous songs, traditionally sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

January 25th is Robert Burns’ birthday — Burns Night — and it’s thought up to 10 million people worldwide will celebrate with a Burns supper.

They’ll sing songs, read poems and eat a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties: That’s savory pudding, rutabaga and potatoes. 

Çiğdem Balım is organizing one in Turkey. She said: “Under the beautiful sun of the Mediterranean, we will be having a Burns night: whisky, and haggis, all the proper introductions, a lot of Scottish dancing. We also have the first translator of Burns poems into Turkish.”

Murray Pittock, a professor at Glasgow University’s Centre for Robert Burns Studies said that more than 200 years after his death, Burns is still a symbol of Scottish identity, “a way of bringing Scots and Scots exiles together.”

Robert Burns also generates a lot of money for the Scottish economy — around $255 million a year, according to a study Pittock led in 2020. He said the study found Burns’ global brand is worth nearly $178 million, and is steadily growing.

“There is absolutely no doubt there are sales and soft power potential,” he said. “For example, in the Diageo brand sponsorship of the British Chamber of Commerce Germany Burns Supper in Frankfurt. One of the opportunities lies in introducing people to things they can’t buy in their own shops readily.”

Scottish Enterprise — Scotland’s national economic development agency — is trying to use this year’s Burns Night to attract more investment into the country. Reuben Aitken, the managing director of international operations, said it’s an ideal opportunity.

“Burns Night is an iconic evening when you can bring people together from different sectors to make real connections that can unlock exports or can unlock investment for Scotland,” Aitken said. “We use it as a way of opening doors at some trade events, by having some Scottish produce on the table.”

Noelle Campbell from national tourism organization Visit Scotland explained that one of the things that makes Robert Burns such a good cultural export is that the issues he wrote about — like social justice and equality — are still relevant today.

“There is a mysticism about Scotland, particularly with overseas visitors — they do look to these historic and cultural icons and are interested to see our modern interpretation of them,” she said.

Campbell added the legacy of Robert Burns is not only literary, it’s as a global brand ambassador for Scotland.