Scotland’s national bard was rebuked after being inspired to write ‘The Stirling Lines’ on a window pane at the Golden Lion hotel on the city’s historic King Street because he was outraged at the rundown state of nearby Stirling Castle.
The verse, written on August 26, 1787, could have stopped Burns starting a career as a Customs Exciseman, as it upset local officials so much, that the poet was warned over his behaviour.
Burns wrote in a letter that a ‘great person’ had interrogated him ‘like a child about my matters, and blamed and schooled for my inscription on a Stirling window’.
He returned to King Street two months later to smash the offending work with the butt of his riding crop.
Diarist James MacDonald later wrote how Burns discussed the drama just two months before he died aged 37 in 1796.
MacDonald wrote that Burns had: “…displayed as much wit and humour in three hours’ time as any man I ever knew. He told me that being once in Stirling when we was a young lad, heated with drink, he had nigh got himself into a dreadful scrape by writing the (Stirling) lines on the pane of a glass window at the inn.”
Now a pop-up exhibition celebrating a conservation project to revive King Street is giving people the chance to learn the history of the Stirling landmark.
The show, which runs at the city’s Stirling Arcade until September 25, boasts extraordinary archive photos that give visitors a walk down memory lane.
The remarkable pictures show how King Street has changed over the years - but still retains much of its splendour following a £1million revamp by the Stirling City Heritage Trust (SCHT), in partnership with Stirling Council.
The Golden Lion is King Street’s oldest building - built in 1786.
The street, in the shadow of Stirling Castle, was known in medieval times as the High Gait and became Quality Street in the 18th century before being re-named King Street in 1821 in honour of King George IV’s coronation.
By the early twentieth century, the street boasted no less than six banks, three hotels and numerous established Stirling family businesses including Graham & Morton, Thomas Menzies and McAree Brothers together with an entrance to the Stirling Arcade.
Stirling Arcade was erected by John McLean between 1879 and 1882 at a cost of £30,000 and is one of only four Victorian arcades that remain in Scotland.
It was the brainchild of local china merchant William Crawford who linked King Street with Murray Street with an arcade that comprised of two hotels, 39 shops and a 1,200-seat cinema.
The Athenaeum is a Category A listed building that dominates King Street’s skyline with its tall spire rising from the horse-shaped structure below.
The former library was used as the Burgh offices between 1875 and 1918 and today houses a number of ground floor shops with offices above.
The exhibition marks the end of the £800,000 King Street Funding Initiative 2012-18 – delivered by the SCHT charity with investment from Stirling Council, Historic Environment Scotland and individual property owners.
This initiative followed Stirling Council’s successful Façade Enhancement Scheme pilot project, which saw £220,000 invested to tackle poor shopfronts, repaired and enhanced street frontages, and improved close security.
In total, the both initiatives achieved comprehensive repairs to six buildings, including 24 residential flats, nine shops and four businesses.
Stirling City Heritage Trust’s Grants Officer Lindsay Lennie said: “The exhibition celebrates the £1million invested in restoring King Street back to its former glory over the past six years.
“It’s such an important street linking Stirling Castle at the top of the town with modern shopping at places like The Thistles.
“A lot of the buildings were in need of repair and the Trust’s conservation work was focused on stimulating the economic regeneration of this historic street. King Street has such a wonderful story.”
Stirling Council’s Environment and Housing Convenor Cllr Jim Thomson and Vice Convenor Cllr Danny Gibson are both Trustees of SCHT.
Cllr Thomson said: “This free exhibition is an astonishing chance to revel in King Street’s rich history.
“Stirling Council has been proud to support the incredible conservation work carried out by Stirling City Heritage Trust and the £1million investment has really helped bring King Street back to its former glory.
“King Street is one of Stirling’s most precious heritage sites and the work that has been done means residents and visitors to our city will be able to enjoy its splendour for many more years to come.”
Cllr Danny Gibson said: “Without this vital conservation work, Stirling faced losing a real jewel in its crown, and this exhibition emphasises the incredible history of the street.
“Hopefully Robert Burns would be more appreciative of the work Stirling Council is driving to protect the city’s historic buildings now than he was during his visit in 1787.”