Local authorities in Scotland made more than £40m from parking in 2015-16, according to analysis by a motoring organisation.

The figure is 12% higher than in 2014-15, when £36.1m was recorded.

Data analysed for the RAC Foundation shows Scotland's 32 councils had a combined income of charges and penalties from on and off-street parking of £79.3m.

The cost for councils of running their parking activities totalled £39m, giving a surplus of £403m.

Edinburgh had the largest surplus at £19.4m, followed by Glasgow at £12.6m and Aberdeen at £4.9m.

Of the 32 councils, 15 showed a surplus, two made neither a deficit nor a surplus, 13 recorded a deficit and two did not provide parking accounts

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: "Providing and managing the space for us to park our cars is not a cost-free activity for councils but controlling those costs is clearly important.

"By keeping the bills down and seeing a rise in parking income, there has been a significant increase in the annual surplus, or profit, councils are making from parking activities.

"The good news is that this money must be reinvested in transport services including, Scottish drivers will expect, maintaining the road network."

Glasgow City Council claimed it used parking tariffs to encourage people to switch to more sustainable modes of transport and reduce air pollution.

Councillor Lesley Hinds, transport convener of Edinburgh City Council, said fund raised through parking charges were reinvested in road maintenance and other transport infrastructure.

A spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities said: "What councils charge for parking is rightly and properly a matter for them to determine locally based on local circumstances."