Where to start with Tarbolton! Burns found himself in an environment even more stimulating than Kirkoswald and he certainly lived a life here. The village was known for cattle fairs, races and Beltane's Eve fire events!

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Burns was surrounded by nature and therefore inspiration in Tarbolton. He often visited Leglen Woods and Tarbolton streams reading about William Wallace and dreaming about writing a song worthy of Wallace and Bruce!

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Lochlea Farm had been the next move after Mount Oliphant. He and Gilbert would be paid here as ploughmen and planned to grow flax to sell within this weaving village. Burns would also later start his exciseman training here.

 

Burns creativity broadened in the village, taking up the fiddle and learning to dance, beginning a commonplace book for observations and adopting a new stance making him more popular with ladies and less popular with the men!

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He formed The Tarbolton Bachelors, became a freemason, met Highland Mary at Church, his father died here, Lizzie Paton got pregnant with his first child and he received a reception to his first print that far exceeded his expectations!

 

So much happened to Burns in Tarbolton as he developed his personna and made his way as a man living the bachelor life  ...