Turn first left, in about 50yds, into Baird Road and first right into Cairn Crescent. Go round a little way and you can see the cairn on your left which was erected very near the original.
In 1959 it was reported that the 12m diameter cairn “where hunters found the murdered bairn” was still to be seen in Cambusdoon Estate, Alloway, and was marked by a huge old ash tree surrounded by a light iron railing. It was originally an ancient burial cairn inside of which was found ‘a number of urns and other remains of mortality’. In the name of profitable development in 1963 as you can see, the ‘cairn’ is now situated, close to the original site, in Cairn Crescent. It was built using some stones from the original. The bronze plaque mounted on the front of this 4ft high edifice reads:
“And through the whins and by the Cairn” to perpetuate that eventful journey of Tam to Alloway Kirk. This cairn was re-erected through the co-operation of Ayr Town Council, the Burns Federation and John Dickie & Son Ltd, builders. July 1965.
Two seats flank the cairn, each with its small plaque. The left-hand seat was “Presented by the Scottish Society and Burns Club of Australia” and the right-hand seat was “Presented by the Tam o’Shanter Burns Club, Ndola, Zambia.
