A cosy Burns Night accompaniment
A cosy Burns Night accompaniment: whisky, warmth, and a wee glow
Burns Night lands every year on 25 January, and whether you go all-in with a full supper or just have a quiet dram at home, it’s one of those evenings that suits a bit of atmosphere.
The tradition itself started simply — Burns’ friends held an evening in his memory at Burns Cottage in Alloway in 1801, and it grew from there into the Burns suppers we know today: poetry, good food, toasts, laughter, and that gentle sense of Scottish tradition.
If you’re marking it at home, a candle in the background is the easiest accompaniment going — a warm glow, a familiar scent, and the whole room feels a little more like an occasion.
The obvious Burns Night companion: Whisky Marmalade
If there’s one scent that belongs on Burns Night, it’s Whisky Marmalade.
It’s warm and comforting with a bright citrus twist — the kind of thing that feels right beside a wee dram, or flickering away while the haggis is on and folk are getting settled.
Burns himself wasn’t shy about whisky. It turns up in his writing — including Scotch Drink, written in the winter of 1785, and published the following year.
So if you like the idea of a scent that nods to the spirit of the night without feeling novelty, Whisky Marmalade is a lovely fit.
A Dundee aside: would Burns ever have tried marmalade?
Burns died in 1796.
Dundee’s – and Britain’s first commercial marmalade factory (the Keiller tale) is dated to 1797 — just one year after Burns died.
Marmalade and fruit preserves certainly existed before that, so we don't know if he ever tried the original Dundee marmalade — but the iconic commercial Dundee style most people picture today arrived a wee bit too late.
Whatever the answer, Whisky Marmalade feels like a fitting Dundee tribute on Burns Night. A dram-led warmth with that bright, Dundee citrus wink.
If whisky isn’t your thing, these still feel very Burns-season
Burns Night doesn’t have to be all deep, smoky and boozy — it’s really just winter comfort, Scottish tradition, and good company (even if that company is the telly and a blanket).
A few other scents that sit nicely in that world:
Marmalade Gingerbread
Cosy, spiced, and properly comforting — the “after supper” scent if you want the room to feel warm and sweet without being sickly.
Marmalade Gingerbread candle
Earl Grey & Verbena
Light, clean, and calm — a nice choice if you prefer something fresher in the background (or if you’ve been cooking and want the room to feel lifted).
Earl Grey & Verbena candle
Jute & Tobacco
Deeper and more fireside — the “low lights, slow evening” option.
Jute & Tobacco candle
Hand-poured in Dundee, finished in jute
All our candles are hand-poured in Dundee using our coconut wax blend, and they arrive finished in our natural jute gift bags — so even if it’s just a quiet night in, it still feels a wee bit special.