The Bard is a brand

Gies 9 guid rizzons hoo Rabbie maitters yet,

1. He brings us t’gither
2. He was politically radical
3. He loved the lasses, O
4. He is an icon of Scots identity and culture
5. He knew honest poverty
6. He gets all ower the place
7. He raises difficult questions
8. He was a human for a’ that
9. He was a genius writer

Why the Bard still matters

THESE days Burns isn’t just a bard, he’s a brand. Back in 2003 the World Bank estimated that Robert Burns boosted the Scottish economy by £157 million. SNP MSP Joan McAlpine, who wants the value-added figure of the Bard’s financial benefits to Scotland updated, says Burns the brand helps promote Scotland’s exports and trade links “around the globe”.