Greyfriar’s nose shines again

Last week we reported that Edinburgh’s famous Greyfriar’s Bobby statue had undergone restoration work after years worth of tourists rubbing his nose for good luck. Less than 48 hours following the painstaking work to turn his shiny nose back to black, an abrasive material was “intentionally used” on the nose, stripping the repaired area. Police have launched an investigation, and are asking for anyone who witnessed suspicious behaviour near the statue in the last week to come forward.

The story is causing quite a stir in Scotland’s capital, with Bobby campaigners fighting it out on social media, and Bobby even gracing the cover of the nation’s newspaper, The Scotsman:

Bobby graces front page of The Scotsman

Here’s the latest from the BBC:

Edinburgh City Council confirmed it called the police after experts said the repair paint used should have lasted several years.

Police Scotland said the statue was damaged sometime between 13:00 on Tuesday and 17:00 on Wednesday.

The estimated cost of the damage is believed to be between £200 and £300.

Officers are conducting inquiries and urged witnesses to come forward.

PC Nick Davies, of Police Scotland, said: “This crime is as unusual as it is disappointing to observe.

“The statue is a beloved tourist attraction and is also very popular with Edinburgh’s local residents.

“The nose has recently been touched up to restore it following years of wear and at first it was believed the repair had not adhered correctly to the monument.

“However, we are now treating this as an act of vandalism after discovering that an abrasive has been used to remove the material from the repaired area.

“As such, anyone who remembers seeing any suspicious activity around Greyfriars Bobby in the past few days is asked to contact police.”

Richard Lewis, Edinburgh City Council’s culture and sport convener, said: “The work carried out should have lasted for a number of years and it is highly unlikely that it would have worn away naturally in such a short space of time.

“We will, of course, organise the repair work to be undertaken again and hope that in future people respect the statue of Greyfriars Bobby.”

We’ll keep our nose to the ground for any further developments in the case.

The post Bobby Update – Police Launch Investigation appeared first on ScotClans | Scottish Clans.

Greyfriar’s Bobby, Pre-op

Edinburgh’s world famous pup Greyfriar’s Bobby got a facelift earlier this week, following a successful Facebook campaign by Bobby enthusiasts. On Tuesday sculpture conservation and bronzework specialists enlisted by Edinburgh Council worked to restore the black on the dog’s snout after years worth of passerbys rubbing his nose for good luck.

Bobby campaigners had resorted to making nocturnal restoration visits to the statue in the past, touching up the dog’s nose with boot polish. They also called for the statue’s original purpose as a drinking fountain for dogs to be reinstated.

Work undertaken on the statue included a thorough clean with a mild detergent, then heated with a blowtorch to restore colour, followed by a microcrystaline wax and finally two further coats of wax were applied once the dog had cooled.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Edinburgh’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “Although Bobby has never been in any immediate danger, it was highlighted to us that the practice of rubbing his nose was starting to make him look a little scruffy. As one of the most famous – and most popular – statues in the Capital, it’s only right that he looks his best at all times.

“Once we became aware of the local concern it was clear that we had to act and I’m delighted we’ve been able to get specialists in to restore Greyfriars Bobby to his former glory.”

Greyfriar’s Bobby, Post-op

The Facebook campaign, entitled Stop People Rubbing Greyfriars Bobby’s Nose It is NOT a Tradition, called on the council to restore the commemorative statue and was started by local resident Becky Thomson.

She said: “This campaign started out as a bit of fun and I was amazed by how many people supported the page. We discussed ways we could address the problem as ordinary members of the public – by asking tour guides to discourage it or maybe using anti-climb paint.

“Given that this is a world-famous statue in a World Heritage site it now makes sense the council are involved. Now it is up to anybody who is passing just to keep an eye open and politely ask people to keep their paws off Bobby’s nose so it doesn’t happen again.”

Bobby was a Skye Terrier owned by John Gray (or ‘Auld Jock’ as he was known to locals). Bobby was so loyal to his master that when Auld Jock died of tuberculosis on 15th February in 1858 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, the dog kept a daily vigil and lay over his masters grave for 14 years until his own death on 14th January 1872. Bobby’s story is well-known across the world, with his statue in Edinburgh visited by thousands of tourists every day.

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