One of the very first decisions made by the Mitchell Library trustees in 1874 was that the Library should seek to acquire all that it could about Glasgow, and about Robert Burns. The Robert Burns Collection is, therefore, fundamental to the Mitchell Library, and remains at the core of our current collecting policy.
The acquisition of Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon adds considerable strength to the Mitchell Library’s existing holdings. The library has already collected, and makes available, as wide and representative a collection of Burns’ works as possible. It is particularly rich in printed editions and biographies, ephemera and manuscripts of poems, letters and songs, including works originally composed by Burns and those he adapted from traditional verses or tunes.
This third and final version of Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon is historically significant for Scotland. The manuscript is unusual in that it is an original composition, unlike the traditional adaptations that Burns generally submitted to the Scots Musical Museum anthology. Only one other manuscript copy of this version is extant: the one which was submitted to the anthology and is now housed in the British Library. It is fitting that the Mitchell as a leading Scottish public library has acquired the other copy for the nation. Burns believed that Scots songs belonged to the people of Scotland, to be shared and treasured. This new song manuscript is here to share with native Glaswegians and visitors alike, to inspire current and future generations.