Mossgiel Farm

East Mossgiel Farm
The farmhouse in 2011
Mossgiel Farm is located in East Ayrshire
Mossgiel Farm
Location in East Ayrshire
Town/CityMauchline
StateEast Ayrshire
CountryScotland
Coordinates55°31′35″N 4°23′38″W / 55.5263°N 4.394°W / 55.5263; -4.394 (Mossgiel Farm)
ProducesDairy products
StatusOpen to the public

East Mossgiel Farm (Mossgaville Farm or Mossgavel Farm in Old Scots) is a tenanted farm in Mauchline, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the home of Robert Burns between 1784 and 1788, and was where he composed many of his best-known works,[1] including "To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough".[2] At the time, it consisted of 118 acres (48 ha), and Burns and his brother, Gilbert, rented the property from Gavin Hamilton upon the death of their father.[2][3][4]

While living there, Burns became acquainted with a group of girls collectively known as the Belles of Mauchline – one of whom, Jean Armour, was the daughter of a local stonemason. The two developed a relationship, and they were married in 1788. They had nine children, three of whom survived infancy.[5]

During Burns's time at the farmhouse, it was a single-storey But'n'Ben cottage containing three small rooms. It is a two-storey farmhouse today.[6]

  • The farmhouse prior to the addition of a second storey
    The farmhouse prior to the addition of a second storey
  • In the late 19th century
    In the late 19th century

References

  1. ^ "Mossgiel Family Farm - Organic Farming for a Sustainable Future | Scottish Land & Estates". www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  2. ^ a b Matthews, Mimi (2017). The Pug Who Bit Napoleon: Animal Tales of the 18th & 19th Centuries. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781526705020.
  3. ^ Burns, Robert (1852). The Life and Works of Robert Burns, Volume 1. Harper & Brothers. p. 85.
  4. ^ Love, Dane (2012). The History of Mauchline Village and Parish. Cam Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-9567550-3-2.
  5. ^ "Mauchline kirk session records, National Archives of Scotland". 'The Legacy of Robert Burns' feature on the National Archives of Scotland website. National Archives of Scotland. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  6. ^ "Robert Burns Country: The Burns Encyclopedia: Mossgiel". www.robertburns.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.