Letters by Robert Burns dating from 1787 onwards are being placed online as part of a major digital project by the National Trust for Scotland.

The letters, which can be found at www.burnsletters.wordpress.com, include ones written to friends, colleagues and literary magazines. More than 90 letters will appear online on the dates they were originally written and visitors will be able to leave their thoughts and comments beneath each letter.

Shonaig Macpherson, chair of the National Trust for Scotland, said: "Placing Burns' letters online with give historians and the general public another fascinating insight into Burns, his work, and his viewpoint of the times he lived in. These letters are a way for people to see how complex a character Burns truly was."

The project is a precursor to construction work beginning on the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway. The museum is scheduled to open in July 2010.