The first Robert Burns supper was held by his friends on the fifth anniversary of his death, but later changed to be celebrated on his birthday, 25th January. Even in 2019 it is an occasion still steeped in tradition: with haggis, speeches, toasts and piping commonplace at suppers and ceilidhs held across the country. Here's 10 ways to get into the spirit

1. Burns Supper and Ceilidh, West on the Green

Friday 25th January (7pm until 1am)

West Brewery, Templeton Building, Glasgow Green, Glasgow

0141 550 0135

Tickets are £50, available from www.stravaig.eventbrite.co.uk

It might be a German-inspired venue, but West on the Green throws a pretty impressive Scottish celebration. Its 2019 Burns Supper is being hosted by Glasgow ceilidh band Stravaig, who have lined up a six-piece band (with a dance caller) that should get even the most reluctant guests up doing Strip the Willow. Also included is a welcome drink, dram for the table, a two-course meal and entertainment from guest speakers, singers, pipers and hosting duties from radio presenter Billy Kay.

2. Big Burns Supper, Dumfries

24th January- 3rd February

Various venues in Dumfries

01381 271 820

Prices vary, available from www.bigburnssupper.com

The largest contemporary Burns celebration in the world, the Big Burns Supper is in fact not a supper – but a festival of music, theatre, cabaret and comedy. Dumfries will play host to 111 events held over 11 days, with a focus on showcasing homegrown talent and celebrating Scottish identity. KT Tunstall is performing alongside gospel, reggae, folk and trad bands, and if you have the stamina there are late night music sessions from funk DJ Craig Charles and an Ibiza Live party. There is also comedy – from the likes of Ed Byrne and Hardeep Singh Kohli – as well as family entertainment, cabaret and theatre performances staged as part of the Big Burns Festival Fringe.

3. Burns Night at Glamis Castle

Friday 25th January (7pm-10pm)

Glamis Castle, Glamis, Angus

01307 840393

Tickets are £70, available from www.glamis-castle.co.uk

If you are looking for a sense of history and tradition, you can’t do much better than the atmospheric setting of Glamis Castle. Particularly when lit up at night, the 600-year-old castle is quite the formidable sight in the middle of the rolling Angus countryside. This year it is hosting a black-tie Burns Supper with all the trimmings, starting with a grand Address to a Haggis (in the medieval crypt, no less). Guests will have a three-course meal, half bottle of wine and a dram in the traditional Victorian Dining Room, being treated to a recital of Tam o’Shanter as they do so.

4. Vegan Burns Night, Edinburgh

Friday 25th January (7pm-10pm)

Hendersons of Edinburgh, 94 Hanover Street, Edinburgh

0131 225 2131

Tickets are £30, available from www.whatsoninedinburgh.co.uk

With fish soup, haggis and creamy cranachan the staples of traditional Burns suppers, they aren’t exactly the most vegan-friendly meals. Hendersons – the UK’s longest running vegetarian restaurant – is better placed than most to come up with a plant-based alternative, and its three-course celebration features an award-winning vegan haggis as its centrepiece. The meal starts with canapes and fizz, before guests are served vegan Cullen skink, Hendersons haggis with red wine gravy, mash and seasonal greens, and a special vegan cranachan. Coeliac guests are also catered for, with gluten-free options available on request.

5. Oran Mor Burns Night

Saturday 26th January (7pm, dinner served at 8pm)

Òran Mór, Top of Byres Road, Glasgow

0141 357 6214

Tickets are £45 and available from www.oran-mor.co.uk

There are few venues that can boast as much character as Oran Mor, with its myriad of stained glass windows, period features and delicate fairy lights. Its 2019 Burns Night takes place in the enchanting Auditorium, a large but somehow intimate space that boasts a spectacular Alasdair Gray mural on the ceiling. Guests will be piped through the Bell Tower Entrance before making their entrance into the Auditorium, where they will be greeted by a dram, toasts and entertainment from host Iain Robertson – as well as a three-course meal. To celebrate Burns’ 260th birthday, guests will also get to see the unveiling of a brand new ten-panel Tam o’Shanter commission by Nichol Wheatley.

6. Burns Night Celebration, Cameron House

Friday 25th January (6.45pm- 1am)

Cameron House, Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire

01389 310777

Tickets are £45 per adult, £20 per child (ages 5 - 14), under 5's free, and are available from www.cameronhouse.co.uk

Formal Burns suppers tend to be strictly adults only, but Cameron House is opening theirs up to children. The celebration is perfect for any parents who want to teach their little ones a bit about Scottish culture – or those who just can’t get a babysitter. The Burns festivities will take place in the Boat House restaurant, overlooking Loch Lomond Marina, with a welcome drinks reception and a four-course meal. There is also the essential Address to the Haggis with a dram and then a ceilidh band and DJ playing into the wee hours.

7. Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway

Murdoch's Lone, Alloway, Ayr

Open every day, 10am-5pm (the Birthplace Cottage opens at 11am)

01292 443 700

Adults £10.50, concession £7.50

www.burnsmuseum.org.uk

Where better to pay homage to Burns than in the humble cottage where he was born? The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, in the Ayrshire suburb of Alloway, houses some of his handwritten manuscripts and most important collections of work. You can visit the cottage itself as well as the museum, which has an array of interactive exhibits that help bring Burns’ work to life. There is also the Burns Monument and Commemorative Gardens, as well as the nearby Alloway Auld Kirk, and the Brig o' Doon from Tam o' Shanter. And, for the true die-hard fans, the museum is also home to a real lock of Burns’ hair. Lovely.

8. Burns Night Ceilidh, Inverness

Friday 25th January, 7pm

Mercure Hotel, Church Street, Inverness

Tickets are £20, available from www.alzscot.org

Paying for a dance and a drink at a Burns supper is better when you know that the money is going to a good cause. Inverness’ Mercure Hotel is hosting a Burns ceilidh in aid of Alzheimer Scotland: a charity which provides support, activities and services for those suffering from dementia. The £20 ticket includes a plate of stovies, music from the Colin Donaldson Ceilidh Band and highland dancing displays from the Elizabeth Fraser Dancing School. Guests are encouraged to wear tartan and the charity has even created a range of products from its very own Alzheimer Tartan, which is the first of its kind created.

9. Nae Ordinary Burns Supper, Aberdeen

Friday 1st February (7pm-12.30am)

The Beach Ballroom, Beach Promenade, Aberdeen

07968 191632

Tickets are £85, available from www.fiona-kennedy.co.uk

A hybrid of theatre, food, dancing and drinking, Nae Ordinary Burns Supper certainly sets itself apart from traditional events. Organised by singer and broadcaster Fiona Kennedy, the event begins with a drinks reception, before guests take their seats and enjoy some theatrical entertainment from a variety of Scottish performers. A three course Burns supper is then served –along with more entertainment– before ceilidh band The Jacobites get the guests up dancing for the remainder of the evening.

10. Burns and Beyond, Edinburgh

Tuesday 22nd-Saturday 27th January

Various venues in Edinburgh

Ticket prices vary, available from www.burnsandbeyond.com

Edinburgh might already have one very famous festival but Burns and Beyond brings a new one, held for the first time in 2019. The six-day event brings together a mix of music, theatre and comedy to celebrate the best of Scottish culture: with the New Town centred around Burns and the Old Town looking at other aspects of culture for Beyond. Highlights include the touring Museum of the Moon at St Giles Cathedral: a seven-metre accurate model of the moon that hangs above musicians while they perform various haunting numbers. As you would expect, plenty of the events are centred around Burns, his music, and ceilidh dancing.