IMMORTAL MEMORY
A passage through time. Echoes of what was and what remains. A town that breathes with stories still unfolding.
Back for 2026 with more dynamic and deeper tones to enhance the atmosphere.
Greyfriars Church sits on the historic site of Maxwell Castle where Robert the Bruce is known to have killed John Comyn. The building we now know was rebuilt in 1866-1868.
The historic features of the church will be highlighted through a welcoming glow of colour and sound. Visitors will be invited to buy a candle to add a poignant flickering glow to the night.
A mainstay of Burns Suppers, the Immortal Memory celebrates Burns’ enduring spirit. It’s a fitting tribute for one who himself did so much to preserve and popularise Scotland’s rich historical, cultural and literary heritage.
This is one of Dumfries’ most historic sites, yet it is now a place most of us cannot enter. The architecture remains powerful, and the memories local people hold of this space are still strong.
Very little was needed here. Instead, the installation connects the site to the “Immortal Memory” spoken at the end of a Burns Supper, paying tribute to the idea of memory living on.
Visitors are invited to light a candle that will burn for the rest of the night, in memory of someone they have lost, or something they feel they have lost. This piece is about loss, about holding onto the past, and about accepting that sometimes we must move forward. We remember the past only if it helps us move into the future
Where to find it
Greyfriars Church, Loreburn St, Dumfries DG1 1HH
Northern Light Dumfries 