A LETTER from Charles Rennie Mackintosh wishing a young friend Merry Christmas has been donated to Glasgow School of Art.

It has been donated to the art school by King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham along with a collection of 30 books.

Cameron Davidson was in France recovering from illness in 1898 when he received the letter from Mackintosh along with a book of animals sent as a Christmas gift."

The letter wishes the youngster "a jolly Christmas and a very happy new year" and includes hopes he will "soon be well enough to come back and te4ll us all aout your adventures in a foreign land."

It ends "Wishing you a jolly Christmas - your friend, Uncle Tosh."

The letter and books were part of an extensive library which was gifted to the Birmingham school by a former headmistress last year.

Jean Wilks had for many years cared for her friend and colleague Maggie Davidson who was a grand-daughter of the Glasgow merchant William Davidson who commissioned Mackintosh to build the family home of Windyhill in 1900.

David Buri, librarian at Glasgow School of Art described the gift as "incredibly generous".

He said: "There is something quite poignant about the letter given that Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald never had children of their own.

"Among the books are many on the life and work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh as well as books with a direct link to Mackintosh and the Davidsons.

"Particularly interesting is a late 19th century book on the Japanese artist and printmaker Katsushika Hokusai with an inscription to the Davidsons from Mackintosh.

"As is well known, Mackintosh was very interested in Japanese design and Japanese influences can be seen in his designs for the Glasgow School of Art library."

The donation was made to the art school following a call for help in replacing books lost in a fire which ripped through the building last year.

The books and letter were delivered to Glasgow by Findlay Mackinnon from Ardrossan who is English master at the Birmingham school.

He said: "It was wonderful to find so many books about Charles Rennie Mackintosh in Jean Wilks' collection and I am delighted they will be such a benefit to the Glasgow School of Art.

"Losing so many books in the fire was a real blow to them but everyone's rallying round to try to provide replacements."