In pictures: Homes of famous Scots

THE homes of some of Scotland’s best-known sons offer a fascinating insight into the histories of the individuals whose achievements are now so widely celebrated.

The Scotsman profiles the residencies of some of the nation’s most notable historical figures, and, as we discover, they come in all shapes and sizes.

Burns Cottage, Alloway, Ayrshire

The birthplace of Robert Burns is an oft-visited tourist attraction that, fittingly enough, looks as humble an abode as one would imagine it to be. Visitors to the thatched clay cottage (a traditional type of housing at the time) can enjoy a trove of manuscripts, letters and other Burns-related ephemera.

Abbotsford, Melrose

Though Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Abbotsford in Melrose stands as a monument to Scott’s love of the Borders region. Moreover, the fact that Scott designed the entire building adds an imposing physicality to Scott’s legacy.

David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre

A cotton mill called Shuttle Row was the birthplace of adventurer and missionary Dr David Livingstone. His subsequent travels to Africa catapulted him to near-mythical status among Victorians, and the building stands as a monument not only to his adventures, but the harsh industrial environment from which he emerged.

Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh

Merchiston Castle now stands at the centre of Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston campus. It was also once home to John Napier, inventor of the algorithm, where he was born in 1550.