CITY status will be granted to a select few UK towns by the Queen next year as part of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations and Dunfermline is hoping it can clinch the royal seal of approval to become Scotland's eighth city.

The competition has been launched to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's ascent to the throne in 2022.

Fife Council is preparing to make a case for the Auld Grey Toun and others have started to announce they're also throwing their hat in the ring.

Scotland currently has seven cities – Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.

Back in 2012, as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, four awards were made to Chelmsford, Perth, St Asaph and Armagh – one for each part of the UK. 

Again, towns will compete from each country.

The competition will close on December 8 but, already, several have already said they making a bid.

Dunfermline's rivals will include Dumfries, Greenock, Oban and Irvine, so do we have the edge to make us a city?

We definitely have history on our side as the ancient capital of Scotland for around 400 years and it's the final resting place of kings and queens, including Robert the Bruce, and boasts ancient sites such as Dunfermline Abbey and the Palace ruins, both of which are the best part of 1,000-years-old.

We also made the Queen's wedding dress but we won't just dwell on the past.

Dunfermline is the biggest town in Fife, the 10th largest in Scotland and would be the Kingdom’s first city if chosen.

It's been dubbed the "fastest-growing town in Europe" and development is bringing new infrastructure such as the super campus which will house St Columba's and Woodmill high schools as well as Fife College.

We're also making old things shiny new with abandoned listed buildings, such as the Dunlop factory and Carnegie Clinic, being converted into luxury apartments.

Dumfries – 'Queen of the South' – will join Dunfermline in trying another time for city status.

Dumfries and Galloway Council has agreed to back the bid to secure city status after a previous bid in 2011 was dismissed when it emerged it had not come from the council.

If successful, it would be the first city in the south of Scotland. The former royal burgh has an interesting history and special connection to Scotland’s national bard.

Peter Pan author JM Barrie and British Formula One racing driver David Coulthard have lived there but its most famous former resident is Robert Burns, who spent his final years there.

Dumfries and the surrounding area hosts many arts and theatre festivals too.

Inverclyde Council has suggested it wants to bid for Greenock to become Scotland’s eighth city.

A final decision is yet to be made and the public have been asked for consultation. 

Councillor Robert Moran said going for city status could only be a positive thing for Greenock.

North Ayrshire councillors will be asked to agree to authorise officers to explore a potential entry for Irvine to seek city status in a boost to Ayrshire’s top town. 

Ian Clarkson, provost and councillor for Irvine West, said: “I think it’s absolutely brilliant – it’s an opportunity for Irvine to put themselves on the map."

Its Gaelic name translates as 'little bay' but there are big ambitions for the scenic town of Oban in the Scottish Highlands.

Argyll and Bute Council has also agreed to develop a bid for the town, which has a population of around 8,490.

A report compiled to support the bid argues that Oban is in a strategically-important position on the west coast of the Highlands and Islands and is the "gateway" to island communities.