Scotland’s Bard: Developing the Cultural and Economic Impact of Robert Burns

Narrative

Research carried out primarily by Robert Crawford helped raise the profile of Burns’s poetry in the media, serving to generate greater interest in, and engagement with, his cultural legacy. The Bard, Robert Burns, A Biography (2009) was featured in Scottish Government-sponsored public events to mark the 250th anniversary of Burns’s birth, a major focus of Scotland’s 2009 ‘Homecoming’ event, generating significant additional tourist revenue for the Scottish economy. Subsequently Crawford’s research was central to a £20M+ refurbishment of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, responsible for a significant increase in visitor numbers and bringing much-needed tourist revenue to the area. Finally, Crawford’s research inspired Norman McBeath to new ways of thinking that resulted in the creation of a new art project. This case study therefore involves several types of impact: (1) promoting public interest in Burns and interpreting literary heritage to a broad audience; (2) assisting government initiatives to stimulate tourism and create economic prosperity at both national and regional levels; (3) inspiring new forms of artistic expression. The users of this research are the Scottish Government; the National Trust for Scotland; a freelance photographer; the tourist sector of Scotland and the reading and museum-going public.

Impact status	Closed
Category of impact	Cultural, Creative Impact, Economic, Commercial Impact