THE missing Dunkeld Lectern, a national treasure seized by English troops more than 450 years ago, has been found - in the hallway of a Scottish arts centre.

Believed to have been hidden in the Highlands by a band of ''Scottish patriots'' who reclaimed it 15 years ago after raiding an English church, it was delivered anonymously to the Netherbow in Edinburgh on Friday.

But the identities of those behind the re-emergence of the ''Holyrood Bird'', as it has become known, and their motive are likely to remain a mystery.

No message was left with the lectern at the Royal Mile building.

Dr Donald Smith, the Netherbow's director, said it could be that those involved felt the unique item was something that should be on view for the Scottish public. ''It's an Elgin Marbles scenario.''

Museum experts have authenticated the find, a 15th-century papal gift to Scotland.

Now, like the Stone of Destiny, a decision will have to be taken about a permanent resting place.

It is already being suggested that the lectern, once housed in Holyrood Abbey, could be used for ceremonial purposes at the new Scottish Parliament.

The Dunkeld Lectern was made in Italy in 1498 and was gifted to Scotland by Pope Alexander VI. Accepted by the Bishop of Dunkeld, the lectern, which features a phoenix-like bird with its wings outstretched, was taken to Holyrood Abbey

It remained there until around 1544 when an English army led by the Earl of Hertford attacked Scotland's capital.

Sir Richard Lee, one of the commanders of the Earl's invading troops, took the brass lectern south and gave it to St Stephen's Parish Church in St Albans.

Fifteen years ago, in a move similar to that involving the Stone of Destiny at Westminster Abbey, a group of self-styled Scottish patriots raided the church and carried the Holyrood Bird back to Scotland, where it is widely believed that it lay hidden in a west Highland grave for years.

In 1995, a 150-year-old replica lectern was handed over to the vicar of the St Albans church by the Church of Scotland.

Both sides hoped then that the move would allow the real ''bird'' to surface and St Stephen's Church council indicated it was happy with the replica and was giving up the rights to the original.

The lectern will be held by the Museum of Scotland until a decision is reached on a permanent display location.

Dr Smith said that efforts had been made to locate and retrieve the for seven years, but nothing had developed after the replica was handed over.

Recently, he said, interest had picked up again and SNP president Dr Winnie Ewing had agreed to make appeals for its return.

''She had no knowledge about its situation but she seems to have created a climate of encouragement.''

Dr Smith said that it had been decided to stage an event at the Netherbow on Saturday in the hope that by setting ''some sort of deadline'', progress might be made.

''On Friday, it was delivered anonymously to The Netherbow. It was found in the hallway. It's not every day you have a brass bird landing.

''We had it authenticated by the Museum of Scotland first thing on Saturday morning.

''We genuinely have no idea how it arrived there or who brought it - whether it was those who brought it back to Scotland, or friends of friends.

''Nor in a sense do we need or want to know. It has been recovered by legal means acceptable to all parties involved in the story.''

Dr Smith paid tribute to Dr Ewing and to Mr David Maxwell, the Netherbow council's convener acting on behalf of the Kirk, for his ''diplomatic inter-church negotiations to resolve it in a manner that was legally proper and acceptable, otherwise it would have been receiving stolen property''.

Dr Ewing said yesterday that the lectern was a ''thrilling'' sight.

The MEP for the Highlands and Islands said: ''Not only have we seen the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland, but another part of our history is returning.''

Dr Ewing did not suggest that the treasure should be placed permanently in the new Scottish Parliament but said it should be used occasionally for ceremonial purposes there.

''The irony cannot have escaped many that the lectern could be put to such a use in our new Parliament so near to its former home at Holyrood Abbey.''

Like the Holyrood Bird, the Stone of Destiny spent several hundred years in the south after being stolen by the English. It was returned in 1996 and placed in Edinburgh Castle.

The Stone was famously re-claimed, briefly, in 1950.