IT’S definitely going to be a strange sort of Burns Night this year, but the fact Scotland is in lockdown definitely doesn’t mean we can’t still raise a toast to the Bard. Whether you’re planning a family Burns supper, a raucous Zoom party or haggis for one, we’ve got some suggestions for how to make proceedings that wee bit more special.
Red red rose card, £2.50, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ClareBairdDesigns
If you can’t be with your loved ones, why not drop them a card? Edinburgh-based illustrator Claire Baird caters to all, with messages suitable for a friend (“Your friendship much can make me blest”), to a lover (“My love is like a red red rose romantic”) to a boozing partner (“Fill me with the rosy wine”). If you’re thinking ahead to Valentine’s Day, Clare Crocker’s Pretty As A Picture Gifts offers customised cards including our favourite declaring – as Burns never quite did – “We go thegither like haggis and neeps”.
Valentine’s card, £3.95, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PrettyasaPictureGift
On a similar theme is Hame Made’s eye-test style print – perfect for any kitchen or dining room – while Edinburgh Sketcher has a beautiful handwritten print of To A Mouse, complete with whiskery rodent, and Nicola Boon’s A5 portrait of Rabbie would make a perfect addition to any home’s gallery wall.
Haggis print, £10, www.etsy.com/uk/ shop/HameMadeCo
To A Mouse print, £20-34, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EdinburghSketcher
Robert Burns print, £8.75, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/NicolaBoonStudio
If you’re seeking a quirky gift for a lover of traditional Scottish songs, check out the Etsy shop of Burgess Bagpipes. As well as instruments, this Forres-based family business make “tunes on wood”, including Auld Lang Syne.
Tunes on Wood, £55, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BurgessBagpipes
Of course, the go-to gift for anyone who likes to raise a dram to the Bard on January 25 is whisky, and there’s no better time to support some of Scotland’s smallest distilleries.
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Strathearn Single Malt spends its life in European oak and ex-Sherry casks for a “soft and mellow style developing to rich red fruits and subtle sweetness”, while Kilchoman’s Sanaig, named after an inlet on the coast of Islay, is matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels for “a balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke”.
Strathearn Single Malt, £85, www.douglaslaing.com
Kilchoman Sanaig, £52.80, kilchomandistillery.myshopify.com
Wolfburn Northland, distilled in Thurso, is “light, sweet and fragrant whisky, with notes of fruit, nuts and a hint of peat”, while Kingsbarns Family Reserve 2020 is “light, intensely fruity, floral and balanced”.
Wolfburn Northland, £44.95, www.thewhiskyexchange.com
Kingsbarn Family Reserve, £59.95, www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com
Edradour’s Caledonia 12 Year Old is a special single cask release, selected by songwriter Dougie Maclean and named after his famous song. A rich and complex 12-year-old single malt, it’s described as “an old-fashioned whisky for those looking for how whisky used to be made”.
Edradour Caledonia 12 Year Old, £58.50, edradour.com
Last but not least, an Auld Lang Syne candle from Cardross Candles will let an auld acquaintance know you’re thinking of them, and a haggis hunter pin from Edinburgh shop Kakibot is bound to raise a smile once your pals are able to get close enough for a hug.
Candle, £10.95, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CardrossCandles
Haggis hunter enamel pin, £7.90, www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Kakibot
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