The Alloway Auld Kirk, which dates back to the 16th century, is a church ruin in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland, celebrated as the scene of the witches' dance in the poem "Tam o' Shanter" by Robert Burns.

thumb|left|The kirk ruins and [[William Burnes's grave]]

Robert Burns

William Burnes, father of the poet, is buried in the graveyard together with his daughter Isabella as well as two of his nieces. Alloway was where he and his wife had first raised their family before moving to Mount Oliphant and Lochlea, and William had attempted to maintain the grounds of the Kirk, which was already a ruin at the time. Burns's sister, Isabella Burns Begg, is also buried in the Kirkyard, along with other notable figures such as David Cathcart, Lord Alloway.

{| cellpadding=10 border="0" align=center

|-

| bgcolor=#f4f4f4|

"Frae the oak that bare the riggin',<br>

O Alloway's auld haunted biggin',<br>

Frae the thorn aboon the well,<br>

Whaur Mungo's mither hanged hersel'."<br>

|}

A David Auld removed the remaining rafters and used them to make chairs and other souvenirs, making a considerable profit from the sales.

Restoration and conservation

Following restoration work, the Kirk and graveyard were reopened to the public by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in April 2008. The church itself is a scheduled monument and the churchyard a Category B listed building.

See also

  • List of Church of Scotland parishes
  • Scheduled monuments in South Ayrshire

References

  • Alloway Parish Church
  • View of Alloway Kirk and surrounding Cemetery
  • Video footage of St Mungo's Holy Well, Alloway, Ayrshire
  • Video footage of the kirk and some insights into the Tam o' Shanter poem
  • The Masonic Friendship that created Tam O’Shanter

<!-- Note: WGS84 lat/long, converted from OSGB36 grid ref -->