Haggis, neeps and tatties are traditional at a Burns Night supper, but what are the other essential ingredients?
Are the best Burns suppers organised public events or intimate gatherings of family and friends at home?
What are the dos and don’ts for speakers? Should there be a ceilidh? What makes for a memorable night?
We asked Gwynne McKay, secretary of the Stonehaven ‘Fatherland’ Burns Club and Trevor Nicol, president of Inverness Burns Club, for their expert opinion.
Gwynne said: “A great Burns Night has short, witty speeches and good company.
“Folk are there to enjoy the bard and immerse themselves.”
Explaining the area’s connection to Robert Burns, she said: “Clochnahill, south of Stonehaven, is where his father stayed.
“That’s why we are called the Fatherland Club. When William couldn’t get work, he went to Ayrshire.
“He and his brother Robert said goodbye to each other on the Hill of Garvock, near Laurencekirk.
“And the wee Burns garden in Stonehaven is lovely. Some wealthy chap commissioned the bust there and he never came back for it!
“I grew up with Burns. My father would quote things like: ‘O wad some Power the giftie gie us; To see oursels as ithers see us’.
At college, Gwynne, a former teacher, wrote a thesis on Burns and has been a member of the Fatherland Club “forever”.
What does she enjoy most about a Burns supper?
“Oh, the whole thing! When the piper marches in and everyone stands up and claps the haggis in, it’s exciting. It’s a wonderful night.”
And what’s to be avoided?
“People going on too, too long. You’ve got to know when to stop.
“We say to our main speaker, 15 to 20 minutes max. The Toast to the Lassies, 10 minutes. Short and sharp. Keep folks’ attention.
“We sing as well. It sounds like a boozy night but it’s not. It’s not about the alcohol or even the food for that matter.”
Gwynne says the best Burns suppers run on schedule.
“To get the formality of the meal over and get on to the crux of the night, the speeches and things.
“If someone is sitting yapping and are still at their soup it shortens the evening.
“Last year’s was really good. We got the meal over quick and the speeches were spot on. Each funnier than the one before.
Timing is key to an enjoyable Burns Night
“We had an extra interval as we were so up to time. We’ve had Burns suppers that have gone on to midnight.
“That’s okay for younger folk, but not for folk working the next day, or older and don’t want to sit for that length of time.
“Timing is very important, running to schedule.
“It was so slick last year, without feeling rushed, and it makes such a difference.”
What makes for an entertaining speech?
“A good Reply to the Toast to the Lassies is having a gentle dig at men in a kind sort of way.
“It’s cheeky and tongue and cheek but never nasty.
“I don’t like racy kinds of jokes. It’s got to be tempered, it’s a mixed company.
“We’ve never had it at the Fatherland, but one supper I was at, it was getting a bit crude and it doesn’t have to be like that. It can be funny without it.
“There’s a lot to be said for having it at home with people you know well. But they need to come with their party piece.”
Should there be a ceilidh?
“There’s a place for it. I love a dance. But just a dinner and a dance, I don’t think that’s a Burns supper.
“A Burns supper is the Immortal Memory, the speeches, the tradition and toasting Burns. It’s all about him.”
It’s nice to observe Burns Night, wherever you go
Trevor Nicol continued: “There’s a lot to be said for having Burns Night at home.
“If you’re not going to an organised one, it’s nice to still observe it, particularly if you like the food, which I do.
“We’ve had very nice Burns Suppers at home. It’s good to get everyone involved.
“I always address the haggis and I remember once we got my son, when he was younger, to do the Selkirk Grace.
“It’s nice for people to do different bits, maybe recite poetry.
“Equally, I do enjoy going to an organised one and I’ve been to quite a few.
“Having good speakers is a must for an organised Burns supper.
“The Immortal Memory is more serious but the Toast to the Lassies and the Reply should be humorous.
“It’s a gentle sort of poking fun at the opposite sex.
“One of the most difficult aspects is finding people who are prepared to perform.
“It’s not a thing that people tend to have in their skillset much these days, standing up and talking.
“And it’s nice if somebody comes up with a different angle.
Burns loved music
“Music is also very important. Burns was a great lover of music. He picked that up from his parents, particularly his mother.
“A lot of traditional songs were saved by Burns, that might have been lost.
“You couldn’t possibly have a Burns Night without having Auld Lang Syne at the end. It’s just unthinkable, isn’t it?
“You can’t have a Burns supper without the haggis being piped in, so you need a piper.
“I don’t think it’s essential to have a ceilidh. It can augment the evening, but it’s definitely not essential.
“My most memorable Burns Night? Years ago, my sister-in-law worked at the old Cali hotel in Inverness.
An unusual Burns supper
“The hotel decided to do a Burns supper in April.
“They had a party of French people coming and they were thinking of doing it as a regular event for guests from different countries.
“I did Address to a Haggis for the French people and I also did Holy Willie’s Prayer.
“I have no idea what they made of it! And me in my nightgown and nightcap, glasses perched on my nose and holding a candle.
“But I certainly got a great reaction from them!”
Inverness Burns Club’s 2025 Annual Supper is on Friday, January 24, at Inverness Golf Club. For tickets email fiona.larg@outlook.com.
Tickets for Stonehaven Fatherland Burns Club’s supper on Wednesday, January 22, at The Station Hotel are sold out but there’s a waiting list.
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