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HRH The Prince of Wales has recorded two of his favourite Burns works, A Red Red Rose and My Heart's In The Highlands, as part of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Scotland's Robert Burns audio archive project.

The three-year project, which will see all 600-plus works of Burns read by a host of well known figures, launches officially on Sunday to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of the country's bard.

As he is known in Scotland, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, recorded My Heart's In The Highlands and A Red Red Rose during a visit this week to Dumfries House, the Ayrshire stately home built the year Burns was born and which he led a consortium to save for the nation in June 2007 in what was described as "the save of the century".

The Duke of Rothesay's contribution is one of the first to be made available along with ones from First Minister Alex Salmond, who read A Man's A Man for A' That, and a host of stars from the world of entertainment including Alan Cumming (Rantin Rovin Robin, Mauchline Wedding), John Gordon Sinclair (Address To A Haggis, A Lass Wi A Tocher), Eileen McCallum (Tam Sampson's Dead), Robert Carlyle (O Leave Novels) and Robbie Coltrane (Willie Brewed A Peck O'Maut).

The project, which was announced in the autumn by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Scotland's Head of Radio Jeff Zycinski, will allow followers of Burns, particularly schoolchildren and students, to savour the rich legacy of his poetry for many years to come for the first time.

"Burns still resonates hugely more than two centuries after he penned over 600 poems and songs, both here in Scotland and beyond – and this project will ensure that his works are available to everyone for years to come," said Jeff Zycinski.

A special radio programme, The Complete Burns, will showcase the online archive (www.bbc.co.uk/robertburns) on Sunday (25 January) at 10.30am on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Scotland.

Tomorrow (Friday 23 January) at 11.30am, in The History Of The Burns Supper, Ayrshireman Billy Kay traces the story of the Burns supper along with passionate Burnsians.

Billy also explores the rich spoken Scots of Burns' Ayrshire heartland in Burns – The Linguistic Legacy on 25 January at 3.05pm.

Also on 25 January, on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 3, poet and Burns scholar Professor Robert Crawford of University of St Andrews investigates how the ploughman poet crafted his own reputation and how it both lasted and spread around the world in a myriad of forms in Creating Burns' Reputation.

Chartered accountant-turned-comedian and radio presenter Fred MacAulay tallies up the value of Burns The Brand, looking at the various ways the works and reputation of the former exciseman bring serious money into the Scottish and British economy. Burns The Brand transmits at 10.30am on Saturday (24 January) on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 4.

Among other Radio Scotland programmes airing under the Burns 2009 banner are special editions of Celtic Connections and The Reel Blend.

The Auld Lang Syne Concert from Celtic Connections which launches Year of Homecoming will feature Scots artists performing Burns material and will be broadcast on Radio Scotland.

An hour-hour long programme featuring music from the concert is also being shown on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One Scotland at 10.00pm on Sunday (25 January) following the comedy drama No Holds Bard at 9.00pm.

Additional content to audiences around the world is available via ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Scotland's online services – ever more pertinent in Scotland's Year of Homecoming. Two Burns poems will be podcast every week and available internationally throughout the year.

All of the Burns programmes broadcast on television and radio will be available on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iPlayer, in the recently introduced Scotland category.

Donalda MacKinnon, Head of Programmes, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Scotland, said: "Our production teams are delivering a fantastic range of content for audiences in Scotland and in the rest of the UK in a fitting tribute to Robert Burns on this landmark anniversary. I am delighted that in The Complete Burns we will be offering to Burns and to Scotland high profile coverage and an authoritative legacy for future generations."

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Scotland Press Office