Alloway Auld Kirk
The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th Century,[1] is a ruin in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland (grid reference NS33191805), celebrated as the scene of the witches' dance in the poem Tam o' Shanter by Robert Burns.
William Burnes, father of the poet, is buried in the graveyard. Alloway was where he and his wife had raised their family, and William had attempted to maintain the grounds of the Kirk, which was already a ruin at the time.[2] The original memorial stone has eroded and the present day stone differs in wording, memorializing both of Burns's parents, and includes an epitaph the poet wrote for his father.[2] Burns's sister, Isabella Burns Begg, is also buried in the Kirkyard, along with other notable figures such as David Cathcart, Lord Alloway.[1]
There is a still a Church of Scotland parish church in Alloway; the minister (since 1999) is the Reverend Neil A. McNaught. The new church building was opened for worship on 10 October 1858 and the first minister was called in 1859. As originally built, the new church was rectangular. Modifications in 1878 and 1890 created the present shape. The suite of halls beyond the churchyard was erected in 1965, the session house in 1977 and the octagonal hall in 1987.
Following restoration work, the Kirk and graveyard were reopened to the public by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in April 2008.[1]
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