SCOTLAND'S BARD Loved around the world for his timeless writing, Robert Burns is one of Scotland's greatest treasures.. Born a farmer's son in Ayrshire, Robert Burns was a prodigious writer and a prodigious liver of life. His words mix poetry and lyricism with honesty, genuine emotion and a great humanity which resonates as much today as when he wrote his songs and poems. Scotland's Bard is an international treasure.