$$$$ - Burns Bucks !


A leading economist from The World Bank has completed research evaluating the financial contribution Burns brings to the Scottish economy. The following article appeared in The Herald - 24th January 2003.

Burns brings in £157m a year
by RUAIRI O'KANE

THE enduring appeal of Robert Burns was confirmed by a leading economist when it was revealed the bard brings in £157 million a year to the country's economy.

The poet is an invaluable money-spinner, generating millions through the sale of merchandise. The sales of novelty key rings, haggis and other Burns Night fare coupled with tourist income make up the bulk of the figure.

Lesley Campbell, an economist with the World Bank, has carried out a comprehensive review of Burns's contribution to the economy. She said: "People have done little bits of this kind of research, but have never done it in total.

"It was quite difficult for me to take music, for example, or interest in Scottish memorabilia and break it down to what is Burns and not Burns.

"But I came at it from two angles, one from the Burns side and the other from the Scottish tourist side.

"I filtered the tourist side out and came up with a figure which represents just the one area. The High street spend is quite high but generally the access through the internet has been disappointing.

"What Robert Burns brings to the Scottish economy per annum is £157.27 million - not bad for a ploughman poet."

Burns was born in Alloway, Ayrshire, in 1759. His worth to the local economy in tourism alone is valued at an estimated £100 million. The bard - who left £14 in debts upon his death - generates a further £50 million countrywide through visitor spending and Burns Night fare.

(Did you know that it is estimated Burns received a total of £250,000 (in today's money) from sales and royalties generated from his Kilmarnock & Edinburgh Editions……which he apparently spent as quickly as he made.)

Professor Carol McGurk of New York State University claims Burns was much more than a poet - he was "a cultural icon" of his day.

She told Radio Scotland: "Burns was the Elvis of his day. He was an icon for the working class, a hero and also an artist. (See our article Celebrity Status )

"He became more of a local hero than a poet but as a local hero he was very much a brand name. Queen Victoria made Scotland a very fashionable place for the upper classes, while Robert Burns covered the peasants or lower classes.

"He stood for the strength of the working class. But as a result Scotland became in the 19th century England's theme park, where they all went for a holiday. Burns's cottage was almost like Gracelands."

There are plans to mark the 250th anniversary of Burns's birth in 2009 by making it a special "Year of Scottish Homecoming".

All pretty interesting and valuable research into demonstrating the value, in economic terms, Burns left as his legacy. However, we would be interested in a more wide-ranging initiative that considers the economic potential that exists, rather than a statement of current fact. It is our view, that the "potential" massively outstrips the current contribution to our economy.

Article from The Herald - 24th January 2003