Sheila Dawson, who owns the property in Glen Esk, where the wooden plaque was found said: "We came across it years ago and didn't really know what to do with it.

"If it hadn't been for the articles in "The Brechiner" regularly about the photographic society, we really wouldn't have had a clue on how to reunite it with its owners.

"I managed to get in touch with the society and their chairman, Jim Snedden, came up for it and was delighted to have it back as part of the club's heritage and history.

"Mr Snedden said he enjoys coming up to Glen Esk for subject matter for his photos and the club's members are equally pleased part of their heritage is back in place.

"It was in a stable or a byre on a shelf and it had been there for at least seventy years, possibly longer! A lot of Glenesk People used to let out their houses for people coming up for a holiday and perhaps something like that was what happened and someone left it behind, having been on holiday here.

"You can make out the writing and hopefully they will be able to find out a wee bit more from their own minutes on its origin and its background and perhaps how it even ended up next to cattle in Glen Esk in the first place!"

Jim Snedden said the club was delighted to have such a great piece of workmanship back in its possession.

Jim also stated that, along with the rest of the club's members, he was astounded at the excellent condition it was in, given its whereabouts recently.

"It had a few cobwebs on it, but apart from that it's in excellent condition. The names can be made out quite clearly and I wondered if it was significant if the last named winner, an A. J. Dakers, is listed in 1935, just a few years before the outbreak of World War II.

"At the time the plaque was first competed for the club was known as the Brechin Photographic Association and it's quite obviously a very important part of our history and the story of the evolution of the club."

The plaque itself lists a number of different winners from 1905 onwards and is a very tastefully produced piece of woodwork, which most budding photographers would likely have been very proud to own.