Plaque on Glencairn's Greit House

This is one of two plaques that are located on either side of the main entrance of Glencairn's Greit House: NS3975 : Glencairn's Greit House. As seen from the street, this plaque is to the right of the entrance. It commemorates a visit of Robert Burns to Dumbarton, although it does not explicitly state that he stayed in the building on which this plaque stands. In fact, while speaking of the Dixons (owners of Dumbarton's glassworks; see NS3975 : The ruins of St Serf's Church), Dr I.M.M.MacPhail, in his book "A Short History of Dumbartonshire", explains that "their mansion-house, Leven Grove, was where Robert Burns was entertained on his visit to Dumbarton in 1787, when he was made a burgess of the town; and Levengrove Park (without the mansion-house) is now one of the finest parks in the country." (Levengrove Part was originally the country estate of the Dixon family.) In the book "Changing Identities, Ancient Roots" (2006, ed. Ian Brown), Ian Riach recounts that the honorary burgess ticket for Robert Burns came to light in 1911, and that it was at Levengrove House, the residence of town clerk John McAuley, that Burns was entertained on the night of June 28th, 1787.

  © Copyright Lairich Rig and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence .

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