SCOTS-born Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd is already being touted for an Oscar after it emerged he is to perform the closing song in the Hollywood blockbuster film franchise.

The 46-year-old actor, from Glasgow, played Pippin in the epic films and will now sing The Last Goodbye in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

He co-wrote it for the film which stars Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Billy Connolly as dwarf warrior Dain Ironfoot and is released in December.

The film's makers, Warner Brothers, are mounting a campaign for Oscar nominations among Academy Award voters.

They have launched a For Your Consideration website for members, highlighting "Best Original Song, The Last Goodbye, written by Billy Boyd, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, performed by Billy Boyd."

His spokesman said he could not comment on the news until it had been officially announced.

Boyd follows Annie Lennox, who provided the song Into The West in the closing credits of Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King in 2003.

The singer with the band Beecake most recently appeared at Inverness's Go North festival.

As Peregrin 'Pippin' Took, he previously sang The Edge Of Night towards the conclusion of The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King.

Between the Return of the King, Two Towers, Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug have grossed £3.79 billion at the box office.

Boyd was bought up by his grandmother after his parents died a year apart while he was in his teens.

Aged 16, he appeared in local musical company Theatre Guild, Glasgow's production of Hans Andersen.

He worked as a book-binder for seven years before studying at the then Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His television debut was in Taggart, landing his breakthrough role in Lord of the Rings three years later. Since filming in New Zealand ended he appeared in Master and Commander opposite Russell Crowe, and his most recent film has been Dorothy and the Witches of Oz. He appeared in one episode of Casualty and last year he appeared as Banquo in Shakespeare's Macbeth, at the Shakespeare's Globe, London.

He admitted he had not made a fortune from the films, lightheartedly saying: "I don't have any money. We were just unknown actors - we did it all for peanuts and for food."

But he is a regular on the conventions circuit, and has pursued his twin passions of music and theatre.

The Last Goodbye has been co-written with the film's scripwriters Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh.