South Ayrshire will go up against 38 other places in the UK to be named a city in the upcoming Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

And this morning those places competing have been revealed.

They are listed at the bottom of this article.

Most of those competing are towns vying to be boosted to city status - but South Ayrshire Council has submitted an application for the entire region to be designated a city.

Some British overseas territories are also bidding for the honour. Such as locations in the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Falklands.

The designation of city status does not confer any benefits in the way of additional funding from governments.

The boost that it brings is said to be more to do with the reputational enhancement being designated a city can bestow, with more people becoming aware of the location and potentially visiting it.

In a first for the competition, an expert panel will work with ministers to make recommendations on who should receive city status, before being approved by the Queen.

Steve Barclay MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “Today’s announcement is a celebration of the rich and diverse communities which make up not only the United Kingdom, but also our friends further afield in the Falklands, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands. 

“It’s fitting that, as we look towards celebrating the 70 year reign of Her Majesty the Queen, we extend the competition to include those parts of the world which also hold her so dearly.

"City status is not only about local pride, it can deliver real levelling up benefits for businesses and the local area which is clear from the high number of applications. A sincere best of luck to all those who have applied.”

The competition is part of a series of planned celebrations to mark the Queen’s historic 70-year reign. 

Applicants were asked to talk about the distinct identity and community which they felt meant that their area deserved to become a city, as well as the royal associations of their area.

The council were contacted to ask why they thought South Ayrshire was best placed to be designated a city but nobody from the City Status member-officer working group was available.

The final decision will be made in spring 2022.

The competitors are as follows:

Alcester, Warwickshire

Ballymena, County Antrim

Bangor, County Down

Blackburn, Lancashire

Bolsover, Derbyshire

Boston, Lincolnshire

Bournemouth, Dorset

Coleraine, County Londonderry

Colchester, Essex

Crawley, West Sussex

Crewe, Cheshire

Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Dorchester, Dorset

Douglas, Isle of Man

Dudley, West Midlands

Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway

Dunfermline, Fife

Elgin, Moray

George Town, Cayman Islands

Gibraltar, Gibraltar

Goole, East Yorkshire

Greenock, Renfrewshire

Guildford, Surrey

Livingston, West Lothian

Marazion, Cornwall

Medway, Kent

Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Newport and Carisbrooke, Hampshire

Northampton, Northamptonshire

Oban, Argyll and Bute

Reading, Berkshire

Peel, Isle of Man

St Andrews, Fife

Stanley, Falkland Islands

South Ayrshire, Ayrshire and Arran

Warrington, Cheshire

Warwick, Warwickshire

Wrexham, Clwyd