The rise of automation could threaten nearly 230,000 jobs in Scotland over the next 12 years, according to new research.

Workers in Dundee are the most at risk in Scotland of being displaced by robots by the year 2030, while Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are better placed to deal with the changes.

The Cities Outlook 2018 report, produced by think tank Centre for Cities, looks at the potential impact of automation and globalisation on jobs growth and job losses in British cities over the coming decades.

Across the UK, an average of one in five existing jobs in cities are likely to be displaced by 2030 - a total of 3.6 million jobs - with retail occupations, customer service positions and warehouse jobs among the most at risk.

However, this risk is not spread evenly across Britain, with struggling cities in Scotland, northern England and Midlands more exposed to job losses than wealthier cities in southern England.

Around 18% of jobs are under threat in southern cities, compared to 23% in cities elsewhere in the country.

Of the 230,000 jobs at risk in cities in Scotland, around 112,700 of these are in Glasgow, 60,800 in Edinburgh, 35,900 in Aberdeen, and 20,000 in Dundee.

Proportionally, Dundee is the Scottish city most threatened by automation, with one in four jobs at risk (25%) by 2030, putting it in the top 10 across the UK.

Edinburgh and Aberdeen, by contrast, are among the cities least at risk, with 18% and 19% of jobs threatened respectively, with Glasgow matching the UK average on around 21%.

Cities including Edinburgh and Aberdeen are also predicted to experience an upswing in high-skilled jobs as a result of rising automation.

In both cities, more than a third of the jobs predicted to grow are in high-skilled private sector occupations, while 29% and 22% are in low-skilled private sector roles in Edinburgh and Aberdeen respectively.

The picture is very different in Dundee, where more than a third of the jobs set to grow (35%) are in low-skilled private sector occupations.

In Glasgow, the number of low-skilled jobs growth predicted by 2030 is 27% - higher than the number of high skilled jobs expected, at 25%.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: "Automation and globalisation will bring huge opportunities to increase prosperity and jobs, but there is also a real risk that many people in Scottish cities will lose out."