ALLOWAY'S iconic Burns Cottage has re-opened following a £1million refurbishment with an extra £2.1million promised for the museum.

Burns' birthplace and childhood home was closed for two months while careful renovation got underway by the National Trust for Scotland.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond re-opened the Burns Cottage and new Education Pavilion on Sunday.

Mr Salmond said: "The re-opening of Burns' Cottage and the opening of the Education Pavilion marks an important step forward in the Robert Burns Museum Project, which aims to celebrate the life and work of Scotland's globally recognised cultural icon." See this week's paper for the full story and pictures from the opening.