Greyfriar’s Bobby

One of the fixtures of Edinburgh is Greyfriar’s Bobby. Bobby was a Skye Terrier belonging to a Mr. John Gray, a night watchman, who died in 1858, and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the cemetery attached to Greyfriars Church. Mr. Gray and Bobby were inseparable in life and in death. For the next 14 years, Bobby kept vigil at Gray’s graveside, leaving only in bad weather, when he was sheltered in nearby homes and fed at the backdoors of local restaurants. Word of Bobby’s devotion spread and the City Council paid for the renewal of Bobby’s license, making him a ward of the city. Bobby died, old and full of honors, in 1872, and was buried just outside the cemetery proper but within the walls. Bobby’s headstone, dedicated by the Duke of Gloucester, bears the inscription “Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.” At the base is a pile of sticks and dog toys left by dog lovers for over a century.


A bronze statue of Bobby stands near the cemetery, just outside Greyfriars Pub. Legend has it that the publican turned the statue 180 degrees, so it no longer faces the cemetery, and any photo of Bobby will also have the pub in the background.