Ambitious plans have been revealed to create a £10 million tourist attraction at the former home of Robert Burns at Ellisland Farm, near Dumfries.
And it is hoped that the scheme could eventually lead to employment for more than 50 people.
The proposed development has been drawn up by the Ellisland Trust, which manages the Auldgirth site gifted to the nation in 1928 by two Durisdeer brothers.
Curator Stuart Cochrane said: “It is so exciting. There hasn’t been anything like this before in Dumfries and Galloway on this scale. It is a major world site, a listed Grade A national asset and there will be a huge economic benefit for the region.
“There will be fundraising across the world to make it happen. And we are confident that up to 60 per cent will come from various funding and charitable organisations.”
The 150 acres of land, house and farm buildings are to undergo major changes through the plans which were approved by the trust over the Christmas break.
It follows a year of talks involving numerous organisations including Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Visit Scotland, the National Trust, the Glasgow University Centre for Robert Burns Studies and descendants of the Bard.
Burns enthusiasts around the globe, financial bodies and charitable organisations will now be asked to contribute to the cost of making it happen for 2021.
It was the only house built by Burns and is regarded by his descendants as their “spiritual home”.
Three families – who live in Stirling, England and the USA – plan to gift artifacts from their private collection – which includes clothing, paintings, poems, letters, furniture and personal effects which belonged to Burns – for permanent display at Ellisland.
Stuart said: “This has to save Ellisland, make it viable for the future and bring the world in to visit.
“We have to get it right. It has taken a year to get to this stage but it all moves on from here. We now know what we are doing and are ready to make it happen.”
Burns built the house at Ellisland in 1788 for his bride, Jean Armour, and it is widely regarded as the premier site associated with Scotland’s national poet where he wrote the second most sung song in the world – Auld Lang Syne, as well as many works including Tam O’Shanter.
The plans include turning the clock back by transforming the house as to how it looked in 1791. It will recapture the Ellisland which Burns created and lived in and show rural Scottish life in the 18th century.
Other buildings will then be used to give an interactive modern living interpretation for visitors.
The plans also include a new ecological building made from wood, stone and tin which will be created half underground near the Nith to look like a farm steading.
It will house a museum for the collection of 150 Ellisland items which belonged to the poet and came with the farm in 1928 – hailed as “one of the world’s most important collections of Burns treasures” – plus the newly gifted legacy items.
There will also be a cafe and visitor centre, picnic areas, contemporary art sculptures across the site, walks and wildlife areas.
