Tourists visiting Peggys Cove lighthouse Tuesday were in awe of an added spectacle to the iconic attraction. Two men dressed in white coveralls and hard hats dangled on ropes at the top of the lighthouse, in order to avoid marring photographs with scaffolding.

Under a clear blue sky, they chipped away at the paint, which flaked onto the ground below.

"It's pretty hot but it's good to do something for the community, for Nova Scotia I guess," said Wilf Jarvis, one of the painters.

The work has been volunteered by the Union of Painters and Allied Trades, after several locals complained of the sorry state of the attraction. They'll spend nearly three weeks chipping away and painting three coats to finish it off.

The lighthouse is currently federally owned, but an effort is being made to transfer it to the province. Locals decided to organize the work while ownership is in legal limbo.

The dozens of tourists below didn't seem to mind the work.

"It's interesting the way they're doing this ... with modern technology," said John McCormick, who is visiting from London, Ont.

Local business owners said they're thrilled the work is underway. They just hope it won't take public outcry to get the job done next time.

The graffiti reads I was raised by Peggy. (CBC)

New graffiti was also discovered at the tourist attraction. A spray-painted sign near the water, and difficult to access, reads "I was raised by Peggy," and was first seen by a kayaker. One police officer said the graffiti is at least a week old.