The annual wreath-laying was carried out by the Lanarkshire Association of Burns Clubs.

It was staged at the cairn memorial the Association erected 27 years ago to commemorate Robert Burns' stay at Covington Mains Farm on the night of November 27, 1785.

The man who would become the nation's Bard was en route on horseback from Mauchline to Edinburgh in response to an invitation to meet and discuss with patrons the publishing of a second issuing of his famous Kilnmarnock Edition.

It was a journey that proved well worthwhile and marked the beginning of the poet's immortal fame.

The annual wreath-laying ceremony near the farm — still the original building Burns slept in — is held in July as the weather on the actual anniversary in November might be a bit daunting!

At this year's ceremony were two of the original Association members who erected the cairn nearly three decades ago.

Delighted to attend the ceremony were Willie J. Wilson, of the Motherwell United Services Burns Club, and Mollie Weir of Cambuslang, ex-president of the Lanarkshire Association and now its honorary president and ex-President of the World Federation of Burns Clubs.

The current president of the World Federation, John Haining of Paisley, was also at the ceremony in his full chains of office as was South Lanarkshire Council member, Councillor Beith Forrest.

The memorial cairn was the subject of a major refurbishment by the Lanarkshire Association three years ago and remains a fitting marker on what was, quite literally, our National Bard's road to glory!