Greyfriars Bobby & Greyfriars Kirkyard

Meet Edinburgh's most beloved local: Greyfriars Bobby, the little Skye terrier whose bronze statue stands at the corner ahead. The story goes that after his master, John Gray, died in 1858, Bobby kept watch over his grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard for fourteen years, fed and cared for by locals until his own death in 1872. Visitors rub his nose for luck — so many that it has to be regularly restored. The kirkyard behind him is among the most atmospheric in Europe. Greyfriars witnessed the signing of the National Covenant in 1638, and later held over a thousand Covenanter prisoners in appalling conditions in what's now called the Covenanters' Prison. Ghost hunters know it for the "Mackenzie Poltergeist," linked to the tomb of persecutor Sir George Mackenzie. Harry Potter fans, meanwhile, hunt for gravestones bearing familiar names — including one Thomas Riddell. History, legend and literature all share this ground. Our next stop is almost on the same corner: Chambers Street runs east from here, and the long sandstone frontage a minute away is where we're heading.