It was one of a number of events held as part of the almost week long festival in honour of the Scottish poet - a statue of the bard calls Camperdown home.

Co-ordinator Catherine O'Flynn said 90 people attended the sold-out gala dinner at Theatre Royal.

Authentic Scottish food - including haggis - and live music were on the menu, with Scottish woman Fiona Ross conducting Robert Burns' Address to the Haggis.

"There was a lot of theatre to the address and it was very ritualistic," Ms O'Flynn said.

"She stabs it, gets it and squeezes it. The theatre was really fantastic, it really set the night off."

Professor Stewart Gill toasted to the immortal (Robert Burns). "His speech was that there needed to be more Burns, to live our lives and to learn more through his poetry," Ms O'Flynn said.

"He was such a versatile poet."

IN OTHER NEWS:

First course was haggis, neeps and tatties (mashed turnip and potato with haggis, main was a choice of slow cooked beef cheeks on a potato and parmesan mash with bok choy, broccoli and beans or a Scottish fish pie and dessert was ginger pudding or chocolate hazelnut torte. It was accompanied by Scottish music.

The weekend continued with stories for children at Camperdown Library on Saturday, a shortbread competition which had 10 entries, a series of lectures, concerts, stalls and a festival choir session.

The highland dancers planned to perform in front of the town's clocktower was cancelled due to a number of the dancers being sick so a demonstration was held in the library instead.

Committee member Peter Moir said music workshops of guitar, fiddle, bodhran and harp, held earlier in the week at Terang's Commercial Hotel were a mix of beginners and intermediate.

"For those that were learners at the starting point of playing we provided the instruments, while for the fiddle and guitar workshops it was really expanding on their skills," Mr Moir said.

"It culminated in a concert by the participants and tutors at St Paul's Church Hall on Friday night which was open for the public to watch."

Mr Moir said the festival celebrated Camperdown's connection to Robert Burns through the statue.

"It's been a credit to the committee to keep pushing on with so many other festivals still feeling the effects of the pandemic," he said.

"It's wonderful we've managed to keep it going."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:

Now just one tap with our new app: Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Standard:

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.