Greyfriars Bobby film star dog's remains found after 18-month search

The remains of the canine who starred successful the 1960s movie astir Greyfriars Bobby person been recovered aft an 18-month hunt successful the Scottish Borders.

David Hunter faced a contention against clip to find the burial spot earlier houses were built connected apical of it.

He and his squad were astir acceptable to springiness up erstwhile they recovered Bobby's coffin.

They present anticipation to person him reinterred astatine Greyfriars Kirk successful Edinburgh, adjacent wherever the archetypal Greyfriars Bobby is buried.

The communicative of the terrier which faithfully visited its master's sedate for 14 years aft his decease successful 1858 became known crossed the world.

Greyfriars Bobby was honoured with a statue successful Edinburgh and besides inspired a publication and then, successful 1961, a Walt Disney film.

The Skye terrier which was chosen to play the relation was fixed to Willie Merrilees aft the movie had been filmed.

He was the erstwhile main constable of Lothian and Peebles constabulary, and had helped with the film's script.

The terrier ended up with 1 of his main inspectors, John Turner, who was the uncle of David Hunter.

He remembers the canine being astatine household gatherings portion helium was increasing up successful Edinburgh.

Mr Hunter said the canine prima lived successful the city's Morningside country and remained thing of a personage until his death.

He was past buried astatine a spot which Mr Merrilees owned called The Nick, which was located adjacent the colony of Dolphinton.

"Bobby was buried astatine The Nick successful a expansive ceremonial attended by VIPs and the nationalist connected 23 June 1974," said Mr Hunter.

"A headstone marked the sedate and a portion aboriginal Willie had a replica Greyfriars Bobby statue made mounted connected a cairn."

However, the spot changed hands a fig of times successful the years pursuing and the headstone and memorial were lost.

When Mr Hunter recovered retired that plans to physique caller houses connected the tract had been approved by the Scottish Borders Council successful 2021, helium started his hunt for the remains.

"I couldn't carnivore the thought of him unwittingly ending up nether a location oregon garage," helium said.

"I contacted the spot proprietor who had nary thought of the humanities value of the place.

"He was fascinated with the communicative and precise graciously enactment his location gathering task connected clasp to let america to spell and hunt for the remains."

That was conscionable the commencement of a lengthy journey.

"It's taken implicit 2 years of probe and 18 months of digging," said Mr Hunter.

"There person been galore disappointments erstwhile we thought we were getting adjacent but we kept the faith."

Using maps, aged photographs and accusation from erstwhile owners of the spot and others they gradually pieced unneurotic wherever the remains mightiness be.

"I deliberation we made much advancement successful the past 4 weeks of past twelvemonth than we had successful 18 months," admitted Mr Hunter.

On Saturday, with what helium described arsenic a premix of excitement and apprehension, they made what they had agreed would beryllium their last dig.

"The friendships that had been forged - grown men with a JCB looking for a dormant canine connected discarded crushed - you couldn't marque this up," helium said.

"We benignant of thought if we don't find him successful this country here, helium is not here, and we each agreed it was over."

They started to enactment astatine astir 09:00 and had dug astir 90% of the country erstwhile they discovered the broadside of a tiny coffin.

"There were a fewer seconds of soundlessness erstwhile we didn't really realise we had discovered what we had discovered," helium said.

He said it prompted "scenes of jubilation" but besides "more quiescent reflection".

The communicative is not rather implicit arsenic Mr Hunter hopes they volition beryllium capable to reinter the remains astatine Greyfriars Kirk successful Edinburgh, adjacent the archetypal Bobby.

He said that could instrumentality immoderate clip to execute but would beryllium the close spot for the canine movie prima to beryllium laid to rest.