Burns often stayed at The New Inn in Sanquhar while carrying out his exciseman duties. He inscribed a window pane here with a poem by John Hughes which is now thought to be in New Zealand.

​

The Inn was run by landlord Edward Whigham and the words Burns wrote about the Inn made it both onto a window pane but also into the Kilmarnock Edition, a copy of which was gifted to Edward.

​

Burns obviously thought a lot of Edward describing him as kind and generous and describing the inn as a happy place. It was clearly a venue where Burns made some precious memories.

​

A less fun memory for Burns of the inn would be the time Mrs Oswald of Auchincruive's funeral cortege meant that Burns had to ride 12 miles further in stormy weather to New Cumnock as there was no room at the inn for Burns!

​

A special place for Burns indeed so it is sad that the Inn is now derelict and boarded up. Maybe one day it will become something again ...