Brush with the law avoided as thief returns painting

• Police remove the painting I Cannae Hear Ye for investigation after it was found hanging on a railing after a mystery disappearance

The watercolour I Cannae Hear Ye by the late Borders artist Tom Scott was thought to have been stolen on New Year's Day when the Signet Library was hosting a high-brow debate about the legacy of John Knox.

• How The Scotsman revealed the theft of the painting on 15 January

Officials at the library, on the south side of Parliament Square, had offered an amnesty if the 4,000 painting was returned.

And yesterday morning it was discovered by a surprised hallkeeper who arrived to open the historic law library.

Auction houses and art dealers had been alerted to the theft, which was made public in a bid to have the painting returned.

Robert Pirrie, chief executive of the Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet, which runs the library, said the return of the painting had "added intrigue" to its disappearance.

Police have taken the painting away to carry out fingerprint tests and have insisted they want to establish whether any criminality was involved in its disappearance.

Although there are no CCTV cameras covering the area where the painting was left hanging, police are set to view footage from cameras covering Parliament Square and St Giles' Cathedral.

Mr Pirrie said: "The painting was found by our hallkeeper when he came to open the building. He was quite shocked and phoned me right away to tell me. We alerted the police and they came down and took the painting away for examination. We're delighted to get the painting back but it still doesn't solve the mystery of who took it away. It would be nice to get to the bottom of the mystery, but we're just grateful to get it undamaged.

"There was a lot of media interest in the theft and whoever has taken it may have been put off from trying to dispose of it. We did offer an amnesty to whoever took the painting if we got it back, but the police may have their own thoughts."

The painting was thought to have been stolen during a special New Year's Day debate to mark the 450th anniversary of the Reformation, which was attended by more than 200 people.

I Cannae Hear Ye, a painting of a windswept couple set in a gold-coloured two-foot frame, was hanging in a basement in a corridor leading to the toilets.

The venue was closed down on the afternoon of 31 December and the painting was discovered missing on 5 January.

Since it was only open on 1 January from 3-5:30pm, library staff were convinced the painting was stolen during the event, which was held in the upper library.

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "We are delighted for the library that the painting has been returned.

"Nevertheless, we still must establish whether any criminality was involved when the painting was taken."