BURNS' night celebrations range from formal, scholarly affairs to riotous get-togethers but you only really need a few essential items to make things go with a swing.

Haggis, whisky, the odd poem or two, and good company are the main ingredients.

And if you can benefit a good cause too, then you are on to a winner.

Glasgow's Maggie's cancer caring centre is urging lads and lasses to hold Burns night parties as part of the charity's Knife, Fork, Bottle and Cork campaign, of which the Evening Times is media partner.

Our aim is to encourage as many people as possible to hold dinner parties for Maggie's, raising thousands of pounds for the charity in the process.

The annual tribute to Robert Burns takes place today, and if you are holding a Burns supper, make it a Knife, Fork, Bottle and Cork event.

Just ask guests not to bring a gift but donate to Maggie's instead.

The charity is trying to raise £10,000 through the campaign, with around £7300 already banked and dozens of parties lined up.

Evelyn Smith, who lives in Hyndland with husband Fraser and daughter Emily, 11, held a Knife Fork, Bottle and Cork lunch in November for seven of her friends.

Evelyn, who visited Maggie's after treatment for breast cancer said: "It's a fantastic place. All my friends are going to hold parties of their own, so the potential is there to raise around £1000."

•To sign up to Knife, Fork, Bottle and Cork, or for more details call 0141 330 3368 or log on to www.maggiescentres.org The perfect dram

Our national Bard loved our national drink and a Burns supper gives us all a chance to look at it in another light.

The beauty of whisky is that it has its own flavours: fruity, grassy, smoky, peaty - even ginger or toffee - and these work well with food.

A Speyside whisky works with most starters but is perhaps overpowered by the haggis and Tesco's Islay whisky is better kept for the Lanark Blue cheese at the end.

Talisker is often taken with haggis and the Bailie Nicol Jarvie blend also works well.

Famous Grouse suggest their Arctic Grouse: put a bottle of Grouse plus glasses in a freezer for 48 hours then pour just before serving the haggis.

Try these whisky cocktails...

Burns Mule: Fill a tall glass with crushed ice, add 50ml Talisker/Highland Park or Grouse; add one lime cut into quarters; a teaspoon of brown sugar, a teaspoon of sugar syrup; top with ginger beer.

Bobby Burns: A double of Johnnie Walker Black Label, one shot of vermouth or Cinzano, one dash Angostura bitters, two dashes Drambuie or Benedictine; stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass; garnish with a twist of lemon peel.