Canine Connection
I often cut through the grounds of St Cuthbert’s Parish Church while out and about during my lunch hour. Aside from being a useful shortcut from the bottom of Lothian Road into Princess Street Gardens, it’s a picturesque and fascinating corner of historical Edinburgh and well worth a visit.
One feature to keep an eye out for is a statue of a dog. Of course Edinburgh is famous for Greyfriars Bobby, who has their own statue at the top of the George IV Bridge across from the National Museum of Scotland. That is a must-see for the tourists, though the notion of touching its nose for good luck, is entirely misinformed and results in the bronze wearing down to an unsightly shine, detracting from the overall look of the statue. I see the same thing happening with the statue of David Hume in the Royal Mile, just up from St Giles’ Cathedral. The toes of his right foot are closest to the ground and again the tourists are always touching them.
What is perhaps not so well known is that there is a twinning link between San Diego, California in the United States, and the city of Edinburgh. San Diego also has a dog who is celebrated, called Bum who is described as a vagabond, and died in 1898. In recognition of this, a statue of Greyfriars Bobby was presented to the city, and the San Diego-Edinburgh Sister City Society in turn gifted a statue of Bum in 2008. This statue is situated within the grounds of The Parish Church of St Cuthbert and the plaque notes that ‘The dogs represent the spirit of a twinning link – friendship, loyalty and shared experience.’ The statue has been placed on the ground on a low plinth, with the dog lying on its stomach, head raised. There is a pile of sticks in front of the statue, as people like to leave one when visiting. It’s not as famous as Greyfriars Bobby, but the top of its head and nose is still wearing as a result of folk patting him.
If you are visiting the city, it’s well worth taking time to see the statue, along with the church and graveyard. There are some dramatic views of the castle from here and the graveyard includes a watchtower, built in 1827, which housed guards employed to ward off potential graverobbers. You can visit the grave of Jessie MacDonald, granddaughter of Flora MacDonald who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from Scotland after being defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Henry Raeburn, one of Scotland’s foremost portrait painters in the eighteenth century, is also buried here. The church is where Agatha Christie, probably the most famous crime novelist, married her second husband, in 1930. So much history to take in, and it’s all free, so I thoroughly recommend taking time to see and experience for yourself.
The Fiction Factory 