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Greyfriars Bobby Fountain

Bronze statue of the Skye terrier Greyfriars Bobby on top of a red granite fountain in Edinburgh, his nose rubbed to a bright gold
Artwork FileEdinburgh, United Kingdom

Greyfriars Bobby Fountain

SeenJun 2018

William Brodie · 1873 · Edinburgh

Photo: Chabe01 (CC BY-SA 4.0), 2018-06-23. Resized, full frame.

William Brodie’s monument to Greyfriars Bobby stands at the top of Candlemaker Row in Edinburgh. Originally a drinking fountain, it has a bright bronze nose; a 2017 report records the council’s warning that rubbing damages the statue. Source Source Reported

Seen Jun 2018 — evidence dated 2018-06-23. The dated source does not establish present condition. Source Checked

💡 4 things to know

  1. A memorial to a loyal dogThe monument commemorates Bobby, remembered for guarding his master’s grave. Source Checked
  2. Made by William BrodieThe Edinburgh sculptor created the bronze dog for the fountain. Source Checked
  3. Built as a drinking fountainThe monument was originally installed as a water fountain. Source Checked
  4. Touching has a costSTV reported in 2017 that nose rubbing causes damage; the council urged visitors to leave it untouched. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QE · Edinburgh, United Kingdom Source Checked

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🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1873

    Greyfriars Bobby fountain erected

  2. 2013

    Whole statue conserved, with most work needed on the nose, according to a later STV report

  3. 201717 Aug

    STV reports the campaign to stop nose rubbing and the council’s damage warning

  4. 201823 Jun

    Monument photographed with its polished nose

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

🗞️ In the sources

STV News2017-08-17

Tourists to be urged to keep hands off Greyfriars Bobby

“It really does cause damage to the statue”

Edinburgh City Council spokesman, quoted by STV

Read the source →

✅ The facts

Artist
William Brodie Source Checked
Date
1873 Source Checked
Type
Memorial drinking fountain Source Checked
Location
Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh Source Checked
Subject
Greyfriars Bobby Source Checked
Conservation warning
The council said nose rubbing damages the statue, as reported by STV in 2017 Source Reported
Material
Bronze on red granite Source Checked

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 29 October 2026. How we verify art