IT is home to one of the most famous birds in the land, Lady, an Osprey that keeps coming back to lay her eggs.

Lady's Tree at the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve near Dunkeld, Perthshire, has been a great conservation success story.

Now the 100 year old Scots pine has been named Scottish Tree of the Year 2014.

Every spring for the last 24 years Lady has returned there after wintering in Africa. Lady, thought to be the oldest breeding raptor in the world, has laid 71 eggs and fledged 50 chicks.

The tree will face ­competition from others from 12 countries for the title of European Tree of the Year 2015.

Nominated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), it won the public vote from six finalists from around Scotland in the competition, organised by the Woodland Trust Scotland and supported by People's Postcode Lottery.

Jonny Hughes, SWT chief executive, said: "Ospreys were extinct in Scotland but through dedicated conservation efforts such as the osprey protection programme undertaken at Loch of the Lowes every year, the population in Scotland is thriving once again. "

In second place was Moffat's Gowk Tree, an oak more than 500 years old nominated by Moffat and District Wildlife Club.

Gowk was an old Scots word for cuckoo, but the tree was associated with the Reverend John Walker, in the 18th century in 'Mad Minister of Moffat'.

In third place was The Clachan Oak in Balfron with the The Fortingall Yew in Highland Perthshire, the oldest tree in Britain, possibly Europe, fourth.

Carol Evans, director of the Woodland Trust Scotland said: It's a very worthy winner. As a Scots pine it is Scotland's national tree and I hope the nation will give it their vote in European Tree of the Year next February."