Career
The Glenriddel Manuscripts were written for Riddell between 1791 and 1793. The poet"s friendship with the Riddell family ended suddenly in December 1793 as the result of a mysterious drunken incident at Friar"s Carse, the estate owned by Riddell in Nithsdale. Burns asked successfully for the return of the poetry volume which had already been given to Riddell.
The second had not been completed.