DUNFERMLINE has come out top in a national poll asking Scots to name the Scottish town most deserving of city status.

A select few UK towns will be upgraded to a city by the Queen next year as part of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Dunfermline is hoping it can clinch the royal seal of approval to become Scotland's eighth city.

The competition will close on December 8 but, we have a number of rivals also making a bid, including Dumfries, Greenock, Oban and Irvine.

Our sister paper, The Herald, featured a breakdown of who is in the running recently and asked readers: 'What Scottish town do you think should get city status?'

Dunfermline came out on top, taking a lion's share of the vote with 45 per cent backing our bid

In second place was Greenock with 30 per cent.

Taking third was Oban (13 per cent), then Dumfries (eight per cent) and finally Irvine (four per cent).

Since the vote, Elgin has announced it will also be bidding for city status.

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

As the Queen will be the first British monarch to have reached 70 years on the throne much is planned for 2022, with a special four-day bank holiday weekend between June 2 and 5 at the centre of the celebrations.

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.

Fife Council is currently preparing to make a case for the Auld Grey Toun, once the ancient capital of Scotland.

Councillor Helen Law, convener of the City of Dunfermline area committee, told the Press previously: "It would be a great achievement for Dunfermline if we were to get it. There will be others competing but hopefully we'll have enough to win.

"The opportunity to apply for city status only comes round every so often, usually linked to the Queen's anniversary celebrations, so the last competition was in 2011 ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

"Perth was successful at that time and now it's the Platinum Jubilee the opportunity is there again and Dunfermline is putting a bid together just now."