Greyfriars Bobby

Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray (Auld Jock), until he died himself on 14 January 1872. A year later, Lady Burdett-Coutts had a statue and fountain erected at the southern end of the George IV Bridge to commemorate him.

Several books and films have been based on Bobby's life, including the novel Greyfriar's Bobby (1912) by Eleanor Atkinson and the films Greyfriars Bobby (1961) and The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2006).

In 2011 Jan Bondeson at Cardiff University published research that suggests Bobby was actually a Victorian-era publicity stunt by local businesses to drum up tourist revenue. According to Bondeson's research, Bobby was a stray dog trained to remain in the graveyard; and was actually two different dogs.