Greyfriar's
Kirkyard
Covenater's
Prison
Gates
from Candlemaker Row
• GREYFRIAR'S
KIRK
• GREYFRIAR'S
BOBBY
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GREYFRIAR'S
KIRKYARD
Greyfriar's
Kirkyard is steeped in history.
Mary
Queen of Scots granted the former convent
garden surrounding Greyfriar's Kirk to be used as a buirial
ground in 1562.
The
grounds play host to a number of famous Scots including; Sir
Walter Scott's father, William McGonnegal, Scotland's
worst poet, George Heriot founder of the school next door
to Greyfriar's, James
Craig, designer of Edinburgh's New Town, William Adam
lies in a mausoleum designed by his son, architect John Adam
(brother of Robert Adam) but perhaps the
most famous resident of all is Greyfriar's
Bobby the loyal Skye Terrier who kept a 14 year
vigil on his masters grave, both dog and his master, John
Gray are buired here.
1,200 Covananters were
imprisoned here in squalid conditions in the Covenanter's
prison before being either hanged at the Grassmarket, or
if they were lucky deported to Barbados as slaves. There
is a memorial stone to comemorate their suffering for their
cause.
Ironically George
'Bluidy' MacKenzie who percecuted many of the Covenanters
is also buried here in The Black Mosoleum and is said to
haunt Greyfriar's. Known as the 'MacKenzie Poltergeist'
many people on the ghost tours have reported being physically
attacked by an unseen force.
The
Kirk was originally outwith the old City wall and a section
of the Flodden Wall still exists within the graveyard.
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