A KILWINNING woman has presented a rare Braille collection of the complete works of Robert Burns to the University of Glasgow, after earlier gifting them to the Irvine Burns Club.

The club, which owns and manages the Wellwood Burns Centre in Irvine, believed passing the books to the university, where they will be on permanent loan, was more in keeping with the owner’s wishes that they are both preserved and used.

Joan Muir, who has been blind since the age of three, was accompanied by Allen Paterson, President of Irvine Burns Club, in presenting the works to the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University during National Braille Week (October 9-15).

Mrs Muir said: “I have gained so much from these works of Robert Burns and thoroughly enjoyed owning them for all these years. Although the books are almost 50 years old, the braille dots are still sharp and are easily read by a blind person. It contains all of Burns’ poetry as well as many of his letters.

“I don’t know how many folks still have copies of the Burns’ Braille books from that era but I imagine that, like me, they will not be that young. I have felt for some time that I didn’t want such a wonderful collection to be lost which is why I contacted Irvine Burns Club looking for a safe place for it to be kept.

“I am delighted that it will now be looked after in perpetuity by the University which will allow others to study and read these Burns poems and letters which are part of our Scottish literary heritage.”