ROBERT Burns did much more than just rouse a nation with his poetry; he inspired hundreds of UK and Scottish addresses.

And in a list released by the Royal Mail, Ardrossan and Saltcoats both make the top 20. 

New research from Royal Mail reveals that his legacy extends to the naming of 724 streets across the United Kingdom, with around 272 of the nation’s towns and cities containing at last one address inspired by the iconic poet and his works.

Glasgow tops the list with 72 with Ayr on 25 and London on 19. 

Ardrossan and Saltcoats both boast 7 streets each inspired by Burns and they join Mauchline and Kilmarnock as other towns in Ayrshire in the top 20. 

Steve Rooney, Head of Royal Mail Address Management Unit commented: “We deliver mail to over 30 million addresses, six days a week, which puts us in the unique position of having direct access to all the amazing street names across Britain.

“It’s no secret that Robert Burns and his poems form an enormous part of Scottish history and identity; but it’s fascinating to see that his legacy is felt so profoundly across the entire country.”

Royal Mail is also marking the celebration of Robert Burn’s birth with a special Burns Night postmark, featuring the first two lines of his famous Address to a Haggis. The postmark will appear on mailed items around the UK during the week of 22 January.

The top 20 ‘Robert Burns hotspots of the UK’ are as follows:

Glasgow (72 street names)

Ayr (25)

London (19)

Greenock (16)

Mauchline (16)

Clydebank (14)

Edinburgh (13)

Stirling (12)

Kilmarnock (10)

Manchester (10)

Bathgate (9)

Mansfield (9)

Dumfries (8)

Dundee (8)

Nottingham (8)

Sheffield (8)

Ardrossan (7)

Doncaster (7)

Rotherham (7)

Saltcoats (7)