A HIGH tech way of authenticating the genuine works of Rabbie Burns from thousands of fake manuscripts has been developed by Scottish researchers.

Glasgow University scientists have even been able to distinguish for the first time which inks the Bard of Ayrshire used to write each of his poems, whether it be ivory black, iron gall or a mixture of the two.

Authenticating historic manuscripts can be a complicated and at times destructive process, with parts of the paper or ink damaged.

A team of researchers developed a new way to accurately authenticate ancient documents in a minimally destructive way.

The method involves a technique called ‘direct infusion mass spectrometry’ which uses a method of minimally destructive sample extraction directly from the paper surface.

The Glasgow team analysed the ink and paper of both authenticated and forged Burns’ manuscripts to produce technology that could accurately distinguish true Burns handwriting from the fakes.

The breakthrough is the result of a collaboration between Dr Karl Burgess, of the University’s Glasgow Polyomics, and the School of Critical Studies, led by Professor Gerard Carruthers.

With the help of Burns collector Dr William Zachs, the team were able to look at originals and fakes to determine the type of ink used, helped by a handwritten book owned by Dr Zachs which contained recipes for all sorts of liquids, including inks.

In total, the team tested 12 documents; three real Burns’ documents selected from different periods of the bard’s life, and nine fakes from the 1890s by notorious forger Alexander Smith.

Professor Carruthers said: “What this tool provides us with finally is a way of separating the wheat from the chaff, and knowing what exactly is an authentic Burns manuscript and what is a fake.”