Two Scottish fish and chip shops are in the running to be crowned the best in the UK.

Lows Traditional Fish & Chip Shop in Westhill, Aberdeenshire and The Fish Hoose in Thornton, Fife have made the 20-strong shortlist for the coveted Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award.

They will now compete in two further rounds of judging in their quest to become Britain's number one.

Marcus Coleman, CEO of award organisers Seafish, said: "This flagship award category showcases the leading fish and chip businesses across the country.

"These shops have demonstrated real commitment to quality in a number of areas, not just food, and have worked extremely hard to earn their place on this list.

"There's a tremendous amount of talent to be seen across the UK Top 20, and we wish them all the best in the next round of judging as we know how much this competition means to all of them."

As well as the quality of the food the judging process will also assess factors such as sustainable sourcing policies, menu development and staff training.

Over the coming weeks the shops will undergo a further phase of mystery diner judging inspections in order to narrow the top 20 down to a top ten before the final stage of judging held in London in the New Year.