Greyfriars Kirkyard tour

Greyfriars Kirkyard and Greyfriars Bobby

The story of Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal little Skye Terrier, is one of Edinburgh's most famous tales.  We'll show you the graves of Bobby, his owner John Gray (“Auld Jock”), James Brown and the famous statue.  You’ll even get a chance to make up your mind about the different versions of the story.  Bobby's tale (or should that be 'tail') is probably the most well-known of all the stories of Greyfriars Kirkyard, but there's so much more to explore and discover!

Greyfriars and the 'Grey Friars'

You'll learn about the early history of Greyfriars Kirkyard, and you'll find out about the Franciscan friars who once called this place 'home'.  We'll help you interpret the symbols on some of the memorials you'll see, and we'll even help you imagine the fashions of some of the people buried underneath your feet.  You'll even be able to imagine which way round they face...

The Flodden Wall and George Heriot's School

The Flodden Wall is one of the most significant artefacts within the Kirkyard, and we can't wait to show you the picturesque section within the Kirkyard.  You'll find out what it was built for and why it wasn't very effective.  Then, we'll take you 'through'  the wall and show you George Heriot's School - which lets us indulge any Harry Potter interests you may have!

Sir George Mackenzie

Not only is the Mackenzie Mausoleum one of the prettiest and most imposing memorials in the Kirkyard, it also comes with some of the most interesting stories.  Although we don't tell ghost stories, we're happy to explain why this place was historically thought of as haunted.  There's a lot of opportunities to find out about the Covenanters, and 'Bluidy' Mackenzie gives us another chance to learn about these important Scots.

Captain Porteous and the Porteous Riots

If a story is good enough for Sir Walter Scott, it's good enough for our Greyfriars tour!  You'll hear of one of the most violent times in Edinburgh's history, and you'll discover some of the stories behind one of the most bizarre memorials in the Kirkyard...

Burke and Hare and the Bodysnatchers

No Edinburgh history tour would be complete without mentioning Williams Burke and Hare.  Reputed to be the most infamous bodysnatchers in history, their tale gives us an excellent understanding of life in Edinburgh in the 1820s.  Although never actually proven to be bodysnatchers, Burke and Hare DO have links to the Kirkyard.  We will reveal the stories of proper bodysnatchers and of the anatomists who benefitted from a supply of fresh corpses. You’ll even see a mortsafe, a special tool made to stop these ‘resurrection-men’.  This is one of our favourite topics!