AN almost 200-year-old monument dedicated to Robert Burns in his Ayrshire birthplace is to reopen after restoration work.
The Burns Monument in Alloway was rededicated at a ceremony on Sunday, marking the completion of a major programme of restoration and repair by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).
The 70ft high Grecian-style temple was first unveiled in 1823, designed by Edinburgh architect Thomas Hamilton Junior.
It was commissioned by the Burns Monument Trust, a group in Alloway who wanted to build a suitable memorial to the life and works of the national bard.
NTS said the project was supported by individual donors and organisations in Scotland and further afield.
Work over the last year has included stone restoration and drainage repairs, with the attraction - part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum - reopening on Monday.
Operations manager Caroline Smith said: "It was only 20 or so years after Burns' death that the Burns Monument Trust came together in Alloway to pay tribute to his genius with this impressive monument in the place of his birth.
"It's incredible, more than 200 years later, to see this wonderful structure restored and looking at its best once again.
"Like the original monument, support for this project has come from around the world and has been vital in enabling us to protect this important part of Scotland's heritage."
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