Inside the National Records of Scotland
Detail of letter of John Mitchell, 2 September 1796, in which Burns is described as having ‘many shining qualities’ (NRS GD151/11 /26/47A)
Ever since Robert Burns first gained fame as a poet in 1786, different facets of his life and work have been exposed by his admirers and critics: the ‘heav’ntaught ploughman’, the poetpeasant who transcended his humble birth or who challenged the social order, the bard of the common man, the patriot and the out-and-out radical, but his global renown rests on the universal values of his verse and song.