A' That Burns
A’ That Burns is a fresh and accessible exploration of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.
Hosted by Aidan and David, the podcast blends humour, conversation, and curiosity to rediscover Burns away from the setting of annual Black Tie Suppers.
Each episode dives into one of Burns’s poems or songs, unpacking its history, language, and meaning. The hosts draw connections between Burns’s 18th-century world and our own, exploring themes of love and loss, class and character, hypocrisy and humanity.
What makes A’ That Burns distinctive is its tone — equal parts learned and light-hearted. They celebrate Burns’s brilliance without glossing over his flaws, treating the Bard not as a saint but as a complex, talented, passionate human being whose insights into pride, empathy, and equality are still startlingly relevant.
The discussions are completed by Aidan’s uniquely fresh performances of the poems in question, allowing the viewer the chance to appreciate the work with new insights.
Whether you’re a Burns Night regular or new to his poetry, A’ That Burns invites you to rediscover the joy, rhythm, and emotional resonance behind the words you thought you knew.
The Hosts
David White
David has been actively immersed in Burns work since his upbringing in Greenock, home of the Mother Club.
He is a regular reciter of the Address to a Haggis and other poems at Burns Suppers, large and small, also delivering the Immortal Memory and other toasts.
In recent years he has been MC at the 10 Downing Street Burns Night, and performed at the Caledonian Club, Denham Golf Club,and McInroy & Wood Burns Suppers.
Aidan Dow
Originally from Glasgow, Aidan’s love of Burns developed later in his life when he moved to London and heard a friend recite Tam O Shanter.
This inspired him to try it himself, which led to more regular recitings and subsequently became an in-demand declaimer of Burns from London to New York.
It was through one of these recitals that he bonded initially with David.​