A new report from sector analyst STR Global has included three Scottish cities - Inverness, Edinburgh and Stirling - among the top five European locations for hotel occupancy.

The three cities came second, third and fifth respectively, while other Scottish locations such as Dundee (seventh), Glasgow (11th), Aberdeen (12th) and St Andrews (17th) also featured.

In addition to its ranking on STR's occupancy list, St Andrews also came second highest in terms of revenue per available room (RevPAR) - behind Paris, France, and above London.

According to the analyst, the summer increase in occupancy reflects major investment by the international operators present in Scotland - including Marriott and Hilton.

Danny Cusick, president, Americas, Scottish Development International, said: "Scotland encourages global brands to take full advantage of our burgeoning tourism sector.

"Thanks to investments from major players in the industry, our reputation for world-class hospitality is now matched with luxury hotels."

Click here for more details about the Scottish hotel sector performance.