Greyfriars Bobby - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Posted by: tmob
N 55° 56.802 W 003° 11.501
30U E 488028 N 6200164
The grave of Greyfriars Bobby, "The Most Faithful Dog in the World", is located in Greyfriars Kirkyard. A grave of a dog is not the first thing you would expect to find there, but its history is very interesting.
Waymark Code: WMF763
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/04/2012
Views: 43
«Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh City Police as a night watchman, and the two were inseparable for approximately two years. On 8 February 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Bobby, who survived Gray by fourteen years, is said to have spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave.
Bobby died in 1872 and could not be buried within the cemetery itself, since it was and remains consecrated ground. He was buried instead just inside the gate of Greyfriars Kirkyard, not far from John Gray's grave.
A year later, Lady Burdett-Coutts had a statue and fountain erected at the southern end of the George IV Bridge to commemorate him.
A red granite stone was erected on Bobby's grave by The Dog Aid Society of Scotland, and unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester on 13 May 1981. Since around 2000 this has been utilised in a shrine-like manner, with sticks (for Bobby to fetch) frequently being left and occasionally dog toys, flowers etc.
The monument reads:
Greyfriars Bobby
Died 14 January 1872
Aged 16 years
Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.
Several books and films have been based on Bobby's life»
-- Source