# Robert Burns bust goes contactless for National Trust for Scotland

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/10/12/robert-burns-bust-goes-contactless-national-trust-scotland/
- Published: 2018-10-12T08:00:39+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**National Trust for Scotland has turned a Robert Burns bust and a historical painting
into contactless donations points at two of its historic sites.**

The charity has created replicas of a 200-year-old bust of Robert Burns at the Robert
Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire, and a 1766 painting of Colonel William Gordon,
the military general and courtier, at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. Through a partnership
with Bank of Scotland and VISA, the replicas accept contactless donations, with 
visitors tapping on both to give £2.

 

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> Please DO touch the art!
> We've just announced our partnership with [@AskBankOfScot](https://twitter.com/askbankofscot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> and [@Visa](https://twitter.com/Visa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) – so that you can Tap
> the Past to Preserve the future! [#donate](https://twitter.com/hashtag/donate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [#contactless](https://twitter.com/hashtag/contactless?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> Find out more here > [https://t.co/mhCr3Jop4K](https://t.co/mhCr3Jop4K)[#ForTheLoveOfScotland](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheLoveOfScotland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/Pm8DxTAjU9](https://t.co/Pm8DxTAjU9)
> — National Trust for Scotland (@N_T_S) [October 8, 2018](https://twitter.com/N_T_S/status/1049331158536900609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

The Robert Burns bust was created using 3D scanning technology to build a mould 
that captured every detail of the original. This mould was then scaled up to human
proportions with a hand with an in-built contactless device then created on a separate
plinth.  The charity also applied a marble-effect finish to match the look and feel
of the original.

 

> Please DO touch the art!
> We've just announced our partnership with [@AskBankOfScot](https://twitter.com/askbankofscot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> and [@Visa](https://twitter.com/Visa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) – so that you can Tap
> the Past to Preserve the future! [#donate](https://twitter.com/hashtag/donate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [#contactless](https://twitter.com/hashtag/contactless?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> Find out more here > [https://t.co/mhCr3Jop4K](https://t.co/mhCr3Jop4K) [#ForTheLoveOfScotland](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForTheLoveOfScotland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/FdvjAqHUAM](https://t.co/FdvjAqHUAM)
> — National Trust for Scotland (@N_T_S) [October 9, 2018](https://twitter.com/N_T_S/status/1049556619913285632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

A pastiche painter recreated Fyvie Castle’s most famous painting by Pompeo Batoni,
adding subtle new details such as the goddess Roma holding a contactless card, and
the contactless reader, which was painted using 18th-century-style brush strokes,
in the hand of William Gordon. Workers in high-vis jackets are also hidden within
the painting as a nod to the Trust’s conservation work. Once completed, toner was
added by specialists at the British Association of Paintings Conservator-Restorers,
to ‘un-restore’ the painting and make it match the look of the original.

The replicas are part of the [National Trust for Scotland](https://www.nts.org.uk/)’
s Tap the Past to Preserve the Future initiative.

Chief Executive, Simon Skinner said:

>  “Like all charities, we face a significant fundraising challenge as cash donations
> have fallen sharply in recent years. This initiative could not come at a more 
> crucial time and will enable us to accept contactless donations at our sites for
> the first time.”

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