Burns Night lands in the middle of the quietest stretch of the year for most businesses, which is exactly why it's so useful. People are looking for a reason to get together after a long January, and a Burns supper, a dram or a plate of haggis, neeps and tatties gives them one. If your social media gets there first, you'll fill those tables.
Here are 25 Burns Night social media post ideas for UK businesses, whether you run a pub, a restaurant, a butcher, a deli, a shop or a service business, plus example captions, hashtags and a few things to be careful about.
When is Burns Night?
Burns Night is on 25 January every year, the birthday of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, who was born in 1759. Many Burns suppers are held on the nearest weekend, so check your event date before posting. It's celebrated right across Scotland and by Scots and Burns fans all over the UK and the world.
- Same date every year
- Suppers often move to the weekend
- Start posting in early January
Why it's worth posting about
January is tough for footfall. Christmas is over, budgets are tight and plenty of people are doing Dry January. Burns Night gives them a good excuse to book a table, try something new or host a supper at home. It's a natural fit for pubs, restaurants, hotels and event venues, but it works just as well for butchers, delis, bakers, whisky and gin shops, gift shops and anyone with a Scottish connection or a sense of fun.
It's also in our free UK social media calendar, alongside 200+ other dates worth planning for.
Post ideas for the weeks before
Start around two weeks out, once New Year is behind you. This is when people start looking for somewhere to go or something to cook.
Share the date
Lots of people know Burns Night exists but not exactly when it is. A simple reminder post is helpful and gets shared.
Announce your Burns supper
Share the menu, the date, the price and what's included, whether that's a piper, a ceilidh band or someone to address the haggis. Post updates as tables fill up.
Sell a Burns Night at home box
Butchers, delis and restaurants can bundle haggis, neeps, tatties and a pudding into a ready-to-go box. It makes the decision easy.
Offer alcohol-free options
Burns Night falls during Dry January, so make it clear you've got great alcohol-free drinks too. Nobody likes feeling left out.
Explain what happens at a Burns supper
The Selkirk Grace, the piping in of the haggis, the Address to a Haggis, the toasts and Auld Lang Syne. A simple carousel walking through the running order is genuinely useful.
Post last order and booking dates
Be clear about the last day to book a table or order a Burns Night box for collection. Deadlines are one of the best reasons to act.
Behind the scenes prep
Show the haggis arriving, the tartan going up or the kitchen testing the cranachan. It builds excitement and shows the care you put in.
Update your Google Business Profile
Add your Burns Night supper, menu or opening hours there too, as people search locally for things to do. Here's why posting on your Google Business Profile matters.
Post ideas for Burns Night itself
Film the Address to a Haggis
If someone is performing the Address to a Haggis, film a short clip. It's dramatic, a bit theatrical and great for Reels and TikTok.
Share a Burns fact
Burns wrote the words to the version of Auld Lang Syne sung around the world every New Year. A fun fact post is quick to make and easy to share.
Ask a fun question
Haggis: love it or never tried it? Neeps or tatties? Quick polls get people commenting.
Post live from the night
Stories of the piper, the kilts and a full dining room feel immediate and show people what they're missing.
Share a recipe
Cranachan, cock-a-leekie soup or a haggis twist on a classic. Recipes get saved, which helps your reach long after the night.
Show your team in tartan
A photo of the team in tartan, with permission, is fun, human and gets people talking.
Run a giveaway
Offer a Burns supper for two or a Burns Night box. Keep the rules simple and check each platform's competition rules first. Our guide to running a Facebook competition walks through it.
Spotlight your best seller
Your signature whisky, your haggis bonbons or your Burns Night bundle. Make it the star of one post.
Post ideas for service and B2B businesses
You don't need to sell haggis or whisky to get involved. These work for trades, professional services and B2B brands.
Shout out your Scottish connections
Give a nod to the team members, clients and suppliers north of the border who help keep you going. It's warm and works well on LinkedIn.
Share a favourite Burns line
A short line from one of his poems on a simple graphic is an easy, thoughtful post for any business. His work is over 200 years old, so it's free to use.
Host a team Burns lunch
Share photos from a team lunch or a haggis tasting at the office. It shows your culture and gives people a glimpse behind the scenes.
Beat the January blues
Burns Night is a cheerful moment in a long month. A light, upbeat post with a tip or offer from your business fits the mood perfectly.
Post ideas for after the night
Say thank you
A thank you the day after, ideally with a photo from the night, rounds things off nicely.
Share the highlights
A short reel or carousel of the best moments shows how popular you were and gives people a reason to book next year.
Repost customer content
If customers tagged you in their Burns Night posts, share them with permission. It's free, authentic content.
Ask for reviews
People are at their most positive straight after a great night, so ask while it's fresh. Here's how to encourage more reviews.
Point people to Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is less than three weeks away. A gentle teaser keeps people following and gets bookings started early.
Example Burns Night captions
Copy these, swap in your own details and you're good to go.
Burns Night is almost here, and our Burns supper is filling up fast 🍽️
Three courses, haggis, neeps and tatties, a piper and a dram to toast the bard.
Doing Dry January? We've got a great range of alcohol-free drinks too.
Tap the link in our bio to book your table.
No plans for Burns Night yet? We've done the hard work for you 😊
Our Burns Night box has everything you need for a proper supper at home: haggis, neeps, tatties and a little something sweet.
Order by [order deadline] to collect in time for the big night.
Grab yours at the link in our bio.
Happy Burns Night from all of us 🏴
Tonight we're raising a glass to Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.
Whether you're at a full Burns supper or trying haggis for the very first time, we hope it's a cracker.
Tell us in the comments: are you a haggis fan or not?
Burns Night hashtags
Use a few of the main ones and add a local hashtag for extra reach.
- #BurnsNight
- #BurnsSupper
- #RabbieBurns
- #RobertBurns
- #Haggis
- #ShopLocal + your town
Tips to get more from it
Start early
Begin posting two weeks before. People book Burns suppers well ahead, and many events move to the weekend before the 25th.
Include everyone
Not everyone drinks, especially in January, and not everyone eats meat. Mention alcohol-free drinks and vegetarian haggis so nobody feels left out.
Promote drinks responsibly
If you're showing whisky or other drinks, keep it about enjoyment and quality rather than quantity, and follow each platform's rules on alcohol content.
Keep your call to action clear
Book, order, buy or share. Pick one per post. Here's how to choose the right call to action.
Burns Night FAQs
When is Burns Night?
Burns Night is on 25 January every year, and many Burns suppers are held on the nearest weekend.
Who was Robert Burns?
Robert Burns was Scotland's national poet, born on 25 January 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire. He wrote hundreds of poems and songs, and Burns suppers have been held in his honour since the early 1800s.
What happens at a Burns supper?
Most follow a running order: a welcome, the Selkirk Grace, the piping in of the haggis, the Address to a Haggis, the meal, the Immortal Memory speech, the Toast to the Lassies and the reply, and finally Auld Lang Syne.
When should I start posting about Burns Night?
Start around two weeks before with menus, booking reminders and at-home boxes, post more often in the final week, then follow up with a thank you afterwards.
Can 99social create my Burns Night posts?
Yes. 99social plans, designs, writes and schedules content for UK small businesses from £99+VAT a month, with key dates like this built in. See our social media management for small businesses.
