Anthem hits flat note with voters

Flower of Scotland has been adopted at football and rugby matches

Scotland's unofficial national anthem, Flower of Scotland, has been knocked out of the running in a competition to find the country's best-loved song.

The song, written by Roy Williamson and widely adopted by football and rugby fans, failed to make it on to a list of the top five contenders for the title.

Runrig's version of Loch Lomond and 500 Miles by the Proclaimers did feature on the shortlist.

The winner of the Scotscare-run contest will be announced on St Andrew's Day.

About 10,000 members of the public have voted for their favourite song on the charity's website since the competition was launched in September.

The list of 12 potential winners was whittled down to the final five, which also includes Deacon Blue's Dignity, Caledonia by Dougie McLean and Big Country's Fields of Fire.

'Spiritual song'

Among the other hopefuls not popular enough to make the cut were Rabbie Burns's Auld Lang Syne, recited across the world on Hogmanay, Maggie May by Rod Stewart and Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney and Wings.

Playground favourite O'Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny Aff A Bus was also given the heave from the contest. It's inclusion on the original list of 12 had provoked a mixed reaction from music critics.

Willie Docherty, chief executive of ScotsCare, a charity which helps needy Scots in London, said he was saddened to see that Flower of Scotland did not get enough votes.

"With results not going the way of the national football and rugby teams, perhaps it's not a surprise that the public have voted for other songs," he said.

Runrig's Bruce Guthro said of Loch Lomond: "It just goes to prove that you can't keep a good song down.

"Sometimes when a song has been around for so long and has crossed over into every possible genre it becomes so familiar that it starts to lose its meaning, but I guess Loch Lomond has well and truly stood the test of time.

"It's great to see a song from the 18th century topping a poll like this. It's such a powerful, emotional, spiritual song and we're all chuffed to bits."