Thousands of Burns artefacts put online for first time

More than 2,500 Robert Burns artefacts are being made available to view online for the first time.

The items, including manuscripts and letters which are not widely on display, are from the National Trust for Scotland's Burns collection.

A pair of the poet's blue initialled socks and a lock of hair belonging to the woman who inspired the song Highland Mary are among the collection.

It is hoped the online portal will make his work more accessible.

The online portal will allow people to view fragments of one of only six known manuscripts of Auld Lang Syne dating from 1793 and the wedding ring of Burns's wife, Jean Armour.

Manuscripts of the Lament of Mary, Queen of Scots, On The Approach of Spring, Scots Wha Hae and an uncut copy of the Kilmarnock Edition, the first printed edition of the poet's work, will be available to view for the first time.

As well as photographs of artefacts, the portal will access to audio recordings and newly commissioned articles from Burns experts.

Susie Hillhouse, collections manager at the National Trust for Scotland, said she is "excited" to bring the collection to a global audience through the online portal.

"We’re currently only able to show a proportion of these items at our award-winning Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway," she said.

"Now, anyone will be able to search the collections, and zoom in to tiny details and experience the full collection of over 2,500 items, 24/7, from anywhere in the world."

The National Trust for Scotland are caretakers for more than 5,000 Burns-related items at the Burns Birthplace in Alloway, South Ayrshire.

Ali MacLeod, head of fundraising at the National Trust, said: "We hope that we can learn from this project and that it might pave the way for us to develop further online collections as part of our strategy to make Scotland’s important history accessible to everyone – both now and in the future.”