A couple of years ago, a national referendum in Scotland chose poet Robert Burns as the "Greatest Scot" in history. Take that, William Wallace!

Every year, along with Scottish societies worldwide, the Caledonian Society of Hawaii hosts a Robert Burns Annual Dinner on the Saturday closest to his birth date of Jan. 25.

This year’s event features the usual dancing, piping and fine Scottish cuisine in an explosion of tartan fabrics, plus a performance by Burns scholar and interpreter John Cairney. Trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Cairney has also essayed Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac and Macbeth on stage and written books about other Scots, including Robert Louis Stevenson.

"The Burns Experience" occurs Jan. 29 at the Hawai’i Convention Center, with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:15 and the program at 8:15.

Admission and dinner is $80 for CSH members and $90 for nonmembers.

Information and reservations: 591-9398 or susanmack1@mac.com or scotsinhawaii.org.