The 1961 Walt Disney film Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog was also based on this book.

[1] This novel is written from the point-of-view of the dog, Bobby, and uses Scottish dialogue as the novel is set in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Bobby spends much time with his master and unofficial owner, "Auld Jock" (Scots for "Old John"), creating a very strong emotional connection.

Bobby is in great distress, but a loyal dog will never leave its owner's side, even after death.

Prior to this 1912 novel, there were many conflicting accounts of the legend, due to inconsistencies being passed down through generations of Scottish families.

Interestingly, Eleanor Atkinson had never been to Scotland in her life, but wrote extremely detailed depictions of landscapes of Edinburgh and the Borders, implying that she was very familiar with the country through extensive research.

Atkinson discusses how this is a result of the book being passed down from adults to their children, finding its way into schools' reading lists.