First Minister Alex Salmond is today backing the National Trust for Scotland’s major fundraising plans for its brand new Burns Museum, in the build up to next year’s Homecoming 2009 celebrations.

Today marks the first of many exciting fundraising initiatives planned by the Trust, to attract Burns enthusiasts world-wide, families young and old, and Scotland’s entrepreneurial talent, to get behind the world-class Burns museum to be built in Alloway.

Next month’s 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns launches Scotland’s Homecoming celebrations and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire will offer a fitting legacy to the bard.

The conservation charity’s ambitious appeal, launched today (Monday, 1 December), includes “Put On A Pound For Rabbie,” and gives everyone the chance to pledge their support to help deliver the museum for Scotland. Online donations are also being accepted, from anyone who wants to contribute, at www.nts.org.uk/Donate/Type/.

The Scottish Government is contributing £5.5m towards the Trust’s £21m Burns project and the First Minister today lent his personal support to the public and corporate appeal to raise the final £4m.

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

“Robert Burns is Scotland’s favourite son and it’s important that we continue to celebrate his work, which is why the Scottish Government is contributing £5.5 million towards the National Trust for Scotland’s Burns Museum.

“Next year we will mark the 250th anniversary of the Bard’s birth with Homecoming Scotland 2009. This will be a fantastic celebration of Scotland’s contribution to the world and an opportunity for Scots through the world to reconnect and engage with their heritage.

"Burns is my Scot of the Millennium and the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum will ensure we preserve his legacy so that future generations can learn more about Scotland’s greatest cultural icon.”

Today’s “Put on a Pound for Rabbie” concept reaches out to Scottish businesses across the country, inviting them to add an extra pound to meals, concert tickets or hotel rooms and pledge the excess to the Burns museum. Discussions are already well underway with a host of businesses and companies, whose involvement will be recognised at the new museum and online.

The charity has already contacted many of its members, with supporters donating £30 or more having the chance to add their names to a commemorative scroll at the museum’s entrance. 1372 names are already pencilled in.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Chairman Shonaig Macpherson said:

“Burns was a poet of the people and this way everybody can feel involved in the building of the new museum and feel ownership of Burns and the whole project.

“Today marks the start of our public fundraising campaign and there will be much more to come in the weeks and months ahead.

“2009 is the year of Homecoming and Burns will be uppermost in many people’s minds. The Trust will never have a better chance to reach out to Scots everywhere, who already hold the bard in great affection and will want to play their part in delivering this incredibly exciting project.”

The museum will form the main part of the Burns experience in Alloway, alongside the Birthplace Cottage, the Burns Monument and Gardens, Brig o’Doon and a connecting walkway to all the sites. The project is due for completion in 2010.