Bobby tribute sorts the facts from the shaggy dog stories

Published on Wednesday 30 January 2008 09:27

AN exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first recorded appearance of Edinburgh's most famous dog was due to open today.

Greyfriars Bobby was first seen in the kirk graveyard when a police constable was buried on February 10, 1858.

Now the story of the loyal Skye terrier is to be told in the display at the nearby Central Library, on George IV Bridge. Organisers hope it will be the first of a series of events to mark the anniversary, and are discussing moving it to Edinburgh Castle later this year.

Organiser George Robinson, of the One o'Clock Gun Association, helped put the display together with archivists in the Central Libary's Edinburgh Room. He said they had collected dozens of items related to the dog, and his adopted owner, Colour Sergeant Donald McNab Scott.

He said: "We wanted to do something to mark this year, as there is an association between Greyfriars Bobby and the One o'Clock Gun. The dog got into the habit of going for his dinner at one o'clock every day. When the gun fired, crowds would gather at the graveyard to see the dog trot out.

"Colour Sergeant Scott was a clerk at the Castle. He used to take him for walks along George IV Bridge, but the dog would always turn back to Greyfriars when he got to the end."

Edinburgh Central MSP Sarah Boyack is a keen supporter of the project. She said: "This is an important piece of local history. This will let us launch the 150th anniversary."

The little Skye terrier began hanging around Greyfriars Kirkyard following the death of his master, John Gray. He found a friend in Colour Sergeant Scott, who lived in a flat at 28 Candlemaker Row and would take the dog for a meal at the nearby Currie's Eating House.

When the story of the loyal dog appeared in The Scotsman, crowds began gathering to see him each day, but he refused to stray far from the kirkyard.

Colour Sergeant Scott died in the Royal Infirmary in 1893, and was buried in Piershill Cemetery.

Central Library officer Susan Varga said: "A lot of people only know the story from books, or the Disney film, so it will be interesting to come and see its factual basis. George Robinson has provided material relating to Colour Sergeant Scott."

A spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said it was in talks with the One o'Clock Gun Association to move the display to Edinburgh Castle later this year.