But Sammy was in town for an important mission — to rally public support for a ban on the shooting of seals in Scotland.

Advocates for Animals supporters wearing seal masks accompanied him at the Martyrs Monument on The Scores and also through the streets of St Andrews to hand out leaflets, postcards, posters and stickers to promote their new Look Out for Seals campaign.

The animal protection organisation is calling for legal protection for seals in the Scottish Government's forthcoming Marine Bill, saying every year thousands are shot in Scotland by the fish farming and fishing industries.

Advocates for Animals said the existing Conservation of Seals Act 1970 was ineffective and unenforceable, allowing seals to be shot even when they are pregnant or with dependent pups.

The group felt its campaign had strong public support, citing a recent opinion poll that showed 75 per cent of people in Scotland believed it should be illegal for anyone to kill seals in Scottish waters.

Advocates for Animals campaigns officer Joanne Sim said: "We are sure that the public in St Andrews will be horrified to find out that thousands of seals are needlessly being shot every year in Scotland and we hope that they will join our campaign calling for full legal protection for these beautiful animals.

"We will be urging the public to respond to the Marine Bill consultation by sending our campaign postcards, but people can also support our campaign with just a few simple clicks at www.lookoutforseals.org," she added.