Whether we are in Scotland or not, many of us will be singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight tonight. Most of us know the opening verse and the chorus but how many remember the start to the third and fourth verses in which Robert Burns captures the joy of being in the Scottish countryside:

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou'd the gowans fine

and then

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn

Frae morning sun till dine

It will be difficult to run about the hills and pick the daisies in 2009 without thinking of Burns for it is the 250th anniversary of his birth, which will be celebrated in events across the nation. The most raucous will be the traditional Burns Night suppers on January 25 when the haggis is piped into dinner to the accompaniment of Burns's ode to the “great chieftain o' the puddin'-race”.

Hotels and travel companies are entering into the spirit with special deals in the cities and the countryside. The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in the centre of Edinburgh has Burns breaks throughout January with a room for two from £195 a night. The price includes B&B, afternoon tea with a distinct Scottish flavour and access to the pool, gym and spa.

Events in the city include the Zig Zag exhibition at the National Library of Scotland, bringing together treasures from the National Burns Collections including manuscripts of Auld Lang Syne and Tam O'Shanter and a first edition of the poet's first published work. The Scottish Storytelling Centre will host readings for all ages from January 14 to February 3 to celebrate Burns's language and legacy, from nursery songs to poetic epics.

Superbreak also has a special deal until the end of March at the Edinburgh Marriott hotel, with B&B for two nights and dinner on the first, for £89 a person, based on two sharing.

As the weather becomes more welcoming, it will be possible to celebrate the poet's love of Scotland on a variety of rural breaks. Wilderness Scotland's small group adventure in Perthshire offers families the chance to get close to nature while trying their hands at rock climbing and canoeing, together with gorge and nature walks.

It is based at the Kenmore Hotel on the banks of the Tay, where Burns stayed in 1782, composed a poem while sitting on the bridge over the river and then wrote it in pencil on the chimney breast of a fireplace. It is still legible today in the hotel's Poet's Bar. The six-day adventure costs £695 for adults and £495 for children, preferably aged 9 to 15, with accommodation, most meals, transport to activities, equipment and guiding. The next one starts on April 5.

Page & Moy has two land and sea excursions in spring: a Scottish Highlands tour and a Memories of Scotland cruise. The first starts from Inverness and includes trips along the coast and by rail into the Cairngorms and to the Kyle of Lochalsh. Beginning on April 17 and May 15, it costs from £399, with four nights' half-board and five excursions.

The MV Lord of the Glens, which has the feel of a luxury yacht, sails from the Clyde on April 18 and 26 and cruises through Loch Long and Loch Lomond and around the inner islands of the West Coast. Visits to Mount Stuart house and gardens on Bute, Brodick Castle and gardens on Arran and Inveraray Castle are included and the five-day trip costs from £639, with full-board, excursions and receptions.

www.sheraton.com/grandedinburgh- 0131-229 9131

www.superbreak.com - 0871 2223055

www.wildernessscotland.com - 0131-625 6635

www.pageandmoy.com - 0800 0430234

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