Greyfriars Kirkyard (Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Greyfriars Kirkyard

On our way to St. Giles Cathedral, we made a stopover at Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk, a parish church of the Church of Scotland constructed between 1602 and 1620. Located at the southern edge of the Old Town, it is adjacent to George Heriot’s School.

Check out “St. Giles Cathedral”

Greyfriars Kirk

Since the late 16th century, burials have been taking place here and a number of notable Edinburgh residents are interred at Greyfriars. Operated by the City of Edinburgh Council, in liaison with a charitable trust, which is linked to but separate from the church, the Kirkyard and its monuments are protected as a category A listed building.  The name Greyfriars is taken from the Observantine Franciscans friary (dissolved in 1560) whose friars of wear grey habits.

List of notable burials


The graveyard is associated with Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier dog who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his master John Gray (a nightwatchman for the Edinburgh City Police who died on February 15, 1858) until his death on January 14, 1872. This tale of a dog’s devotion is similar to that of Hachiko, the faithful Japanese Akita dog of Prof.  Hidesaburō Ueno in the 1920s.

Check out “Hachiko Memorial Statue”

Greyfriars Bobby Statue

Greyfriars Bobby headstone

Bobby’s headstone, erected by the Dog Aid Society in 1981, is located at the entrance to the Kirkyard to mark his reputed burial place.  However, as there are no parts of the kirkyard that is not consecrated, it is also believed he was buried under a tree outside the gates to the right of the current main entrance.

Greyfriars Bobby Drinking Fountain

A drinking fountain, topped with Bobby’s statue, sculpted by William Brodie, was commissioned by English philanthropist Lady Burdett-Coutts who was charmed by the story. It was erected, in 1873, at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row, opposite the entrance to the churchyard.

Tomb of James Murray

The graveyard is also said to be one of the most haunted in the world and most of those hauntings are linked to the ghost of Lord Advocate Sir George Mackenzie (1636–1691), the merciless judge who, in the 1670s, presided over the trials of the Presbyterian Covenanters who petitioned the King to allow freedom to practice their religion without interference.  The Kirkyard was involved in the history of the Covenanters whose movement began with the signing, on February 28, 1638, of the National Covenant in Greyfriars Kirk as it was a place of free legal public assembly.

Tomb of Scottish architect John Mylne

Following the defeat of the militant Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge on June 22, 1679, Bloody Mackenzie imprisoned some 400 (out of 1,200 brought to Edinburgh) Covenanters in a makeshift “prison” at a field to the south of the churchyard, spending four months outside while awaiting trial. It has been described as the world’s first concentration camp.  In the 18th century, part of this field was amalgamated into the churchyard, as vaulted tombs, and the area became known as the “Covenanters’ Prison.”

Tombstone of surgeon James Borthwick (1676)

In a twist of faith, Sir George Mackenzie is buried in an Italianate monument (also known as the “Black Mausoleum”), just around the corner from Covenanters’ Prison, one of the most notable monuments in the graveyard  The distinctive domed tomb, designed by the architect James Smith, was modelled on the Tempietto di San Pietro (designed by Donato Bramante).

Grave of Prof. Alexander Murray

Mackenzie may be dead and gone, but his spirit is said to live on as the Mackenzie Poltergeist who physically attacks people.  In fact, by special arrangement with the guides at Greyfriars Kirk, the area is accessible, during the day, during their opening hours, and at night by going on a City of the Dead Tour where you can visit the mausoleum.

Monument for John Carmichael

In the 1840s, during the early days of photography, the kirkyard was used by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson as a setting for several portraits and tableaux such as The Artist and The Gravedigger.

Monument for William Rutherford

Some of Scotland’s finest mural monuments, from the early 17th century, are mostly found along the east and west walls of the old burial yard to the north of the kirkyard.  Rich in symbolism of both mortality and immortality, they include the Death Head, Angel of the Resurrection, and the King of Terrors.

Grave of Gerard Bruce Crole

Other notable monuments include the Martyr’s Monument, which commemorates executed Covenanters; the memorial to Gaelic poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre (1724–1812, renovated in 2005, at a cost of about £3,000, raised by a fundraising campaign for over a year); and the monument of Sir John Byres of Coates (1569–1629), one of the last works of the royal master mason William Wallace.

Tombstone of Alexander MacDuff

Other notable burials here include:

Grave of Katharine Margaret Crole

Greyfriars Kirkyard: Greyfriars Place, 26 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh, EH1 2QE Scotland. Tel: 01316644314. E-mail:  bereavement@edinburgh.gov.uk.

How to Get There:   A 10-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley Station, the Kirkyard is also within easy walking distance of the Old Town and the Grassmarket.   You can take a bus from the nearby stops. Specific bus routes that stop nearby include the 9, 23, 27, 35, 41 and 42.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*