The famous statue of Greyfriars Bobby has been spotted wearing a mask as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. 

Spotted in Edinburgh, the statue of the Skye Terrier who spent 14 years at the grave of his owner was seen wearing the mask.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Number of Covid-19 deaths in Scotland rises to 14

While the unnecessary use of face masks should be discouraged to prevent depletion of stocks for healthcare workers, this small statement may actually be a good thing.

The statue is extremely popular with tourists, who rub the dog's nose to bring them luck. 

Hopefully, this new protective measure/practical joke will actually act as a deterrent to the practice, as people will be discouraged from touching the statue which could further spread the virus. 

The statue, made from bronze – an alloy of copper which does exhibit some antimicrobial properties, is touched hundreds or thousands of times a day. 

In 2014 it became so popular that tourists had to be asked to refrain from touching the statue after work to restore the damage on Bobby's nose failed.