Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog

The story of Greyfriars Bobby is one familiar to most Scottish schoolchildren and this film is a worthy adaptation of a very endearing tale. 'Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog' is set in 1865 where an ageing shepherd from the Highlands and his faithful Skye terrier Bobby visit Edinburgh. But when the shepherd succumbs to pneumonia and is buried in a local cemetery of Greyfriars Kirk, Bobby remains loyal to his master, sleeping on his grave and only leaving to search for food. In those days, dogs had to be licensed but, when the local police try to take him to the pound to be put down, the children of Edinburgh and the city's Lord Provost (who incidentally was director of the Scottish SPCA) rally to save him.

Although the film is not exact on all the details of the story, nevertheless, it is a very warm and touching film about why dogs are possibly the most loyal and devoted creatures on this planet (we humans could probably learn a thing or two from them, in that respect). The Scottish setting is well-depicted and there were few wobbly accents to be heard since most of the cast were actually Scottish.

'Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog' remains one of Disney's best films and hasn't dated much despite being more than thirty years old.