Tam's Tall Tales
- Greyfriars Bobby - An Enduring Tale
Greyfriars Bobby - An Enduring Tale
The 144th anniversary of the death of Greyfriars Bobby has been marked by some events involving Edinburgh's Lord Provost, a piper and a dog bearing a passable resemblance to the one that allegedly spent 14 years guarding his master's grave in an Edinburgh churchyard.
The iconic monument, which dates back to 1873, is Edinburgh's smallest listed 'building' and is undoubtedly the most photographed dog in Scotland's capital. The statue is located outside a bar on Candlemaker Row which bears his name and the dog looks patiently across the street to the National Museum of Scotland
A plaque on the base reads "A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby. In 1858, this faithful dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars Churchyard and lingered near the spot until his death in 1872. With permission erected by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts".
The touching story of the faithful Skye terrier has been challenged over the years. It would be unusual for a Skye terrier to live for 16 years and possibly the dog that died in 1872 was a stray that was fed by strangers.
What is an established fact is that the Lord Provost of Edinburgh paid for Bobby's dog licence in 1867.
For more on the Greyfriar's Bobby story see Did You Know? - Greyfriar's Bobby
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Tam O'Ranter
January 2016Return to Tam O'Ranter Index
