GREYFRIAR'S BOBBY

Bobby was the name of a little Skye Terrier dog owned by John Gray (or 'Auld Jock' as he was known to locals) Bobby was so loyal to his master that when Auld Jock died of tubeculosis on 15th February in 1858 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Greyfriar's Kirkyard, Bobby kept a daily vigil and lay over his masters grave for 14 years until his own death on 14th January 1872.

Bobby became such a popular sight that people would come from all over the country to wait at the gates for the One O' Clock Gun to be fired, Bobby's signal to temporarily leave his post to be fed by locals.

Originally a Gardener, John Gray came to Edinburgh in the early 1800's with his wife Jess and his son also named John. Due to the harsh winter weather there was little work for a garderner and so John Gray joined The Edinburgh Police as constable No.90 where he was required to get a watch dog.

There began a devoted partnership that lasted 14 years after his death and has been imortalised in Scottish History.

Bobby's collar is on display at the Huntly House Museum in the Canongate, Royal Mile.

In 1961 Walt Disney turned Bobby's Story into a much loved feature film and more recently a new version of the story " The Adventures of Greyfriar's Bobby" directed by John Henderson was released in cinemas in February 2006.