Resources and information on Robert Burns and on Irvine, grouped under the five menus below
 

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The Wellwood Murals
by Ted and Elizabeth Odling (1965)

A unique combination of stunning murals with dramatic commentary takes you back into the 18th century as you hear the story of Robert Burns in Irvine in 1781-82. To read the commentary, see audio-visual text. Also read about the flax trade and Robert Burns.

Irvine was where Robert Burns, aged 22, to quote his own words, "learned something of town life". In this busy seaport, he made many friends, especially Captain Richard Brown, the man who first suggested that he should publish his poetry - he later recalled in a letter to Brown: "you wondered that I could resist the temptation of sending verses of such merit to a magazine".

The Burns Room murals were painted by Edward and Elizabeth Odling in 1965, and are enhanced by sound and lighting. Irvine Burns Club museum is regularly open to the public; admission free.

Available (on support page) "Ted and Elizabeth Odling - Artists of the West of Scotland" - a lavishly ilustrated story, written by their family, describing their life and works (in Irvine, Argyll, Tuscany, and elsewhere).

Notes on the upstairs murals will be added in due course.

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