Greyfriars Bobby Fountain

The Greyfriars Bobby Fountain stands beside George IV Bridge in Edinburgh, a small granite monument topped by a bronze statue of the famous Skye Terrier. It marks the spot where Bobby is said to have guarded his owner’s grave for fourteen years until his death in 1872. The fountain was unveiled in 1873 and is listed as Edinburgh’s smallest Category A building. The memorial was commissioned by Lady Burdett-Coutts, president of the RSPCA Ladies Committee, and sculpted by William Brodie from life. Brodie also carved characters from Walter Scott’s novels for the Scott Monument. The polished granite column rises just under a metre above a matching basin, with an octagonal trough at ground level. Visitors find the bronze plaques on the column and the worn nose of the statue, rubbed by many who believe it brings luck. The cups once attached to the chain are gone, and water no longer flows, but the monument remains a quiet reminder of the dog’s loyalty. It sits close to Greyfriars Kirkyard and the National Museum of Scotland, within easy reach of the city’s main attractions.