BURNS night was celebrated all over the world yesterday but it was Germans who perhaps showed the most enthusiasm for the Bard.

Nearly 180 guests packed into the sell-out Burns supper in Frankfurt, the country's financial district. 

Writing in tomorrow's National, half-German Scot Angus Robertson spoke of how the attendees enjoyed being reminded that Scotland voted to remain in the EU.

"When I say they loved it, what I mean is they really, really loved it: so much so that they all got up, clapped and cheered, hollered and raised their glasses in a standing ovation. I’ve never seen anything like it at a Burns supper before," Robertson said.

This was considered newsworthy enough to feature in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of Germany's best-selling newspapers that had sent a reporter along to cover the event.

In an article titled “Haggis is easier to digest than Brexit”, the FAZ stressed that Scotland is a European country and made a big impression on the audience. “That hit home. The guests applauded, whooped and lifted their glasses in a toast,” the piece read.

The National:

The event was covered by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung​

All of the tables at the event were named after a Clan and had a complementary bottle of whisky and on each place setting a programme with Burns poetry and songs in German.

The National:

Angus Robertson's table at the event

The enthusiasm of the event-goers should perhaps come as no suprise as Robert Burns was an internationalist, was inspired by European politics and the first foreign language Burns was translated into was German.

"We could not have stronger group brand ambassadors", Robertson added.

Read more about the event in Robertson's column in tomorrow's paper.