Grave saved in time for Greyfriars Bobby memorial

The gravestone of Greyfriars Bobby's master is being repaired in time for a memorial ceremony after an Edinburgh funeral director stepped in to help.

The stone in Greyfriars Kirkyard was knocked over last weekend, and City of Edinburgh Council said it could not be fixed in time for Sunday's event.

But funeral directors William Purves said they had an expert who could carry out the repair.

The ceremony marks the 146th anniversary of Bobby's death.

Tim Purves, chairman of William Purves, heard about the stone being vandalised and contacted the council to arrange a repair.

Mr Purves said: "We're delighted to share our expertise for this well loved landmark."

The legend of Greyfriars Bobby dates back to the late 19th Century.

The Skye terrier is said to have kept a constant guard over the grave of its owner John Gray, also known as Auld Jock, in Greyfriars Kirkyard for 14 years.

Bobby's period of mourning reputedly lasted until his own death in 1872.

Steve Lister, Greyfriars Kirk operations manager, told the BBC Scotland news website he was "delighted".

He said: "The kirk is extremely grateful to William Purves for sorting out the problem in time for our memorial ceremony.

"This is an extremely kind gesture and I want to thank him (Tim) for his initiative."

A City of Edinburgh Council spokeswoman said: "It's great news that the headstone will be re-erected in time for this weekend's commemoration event."