Students are being urged to take part in a competition to design a baby box which will be handed out to parents in Scotland from the new year.

The Scandinavian-inspired scheme will give families of newborns a box containing essential items such as bedding and clothing.

The competition is open to design students across Scotland and the winner will see their work on the baby boxes from summer 2017.

They will also win £1,000 and be mentored by leading Scottish designers Holly Fulton and Scott Jarvie.

V&A Museum of Design Dundee is running the competition on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Speaking at the launch at the city's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design on Monday, Minister for Childcare and Early Years Mark McDonald said: "The baby box is an extremely exciting initiative that will play a major role in realising our wider Government ambition of giving all our children the best possible start in life.

"It has a proven track record in tackling deprivation, improving health and supporting parents and I look forward to seeing the very real benefits it brings for Scotland's future generations.

"With that in mind it seems only right that the competition launched today allows Scotland's next generation of designers to play a key role in the process. This is a fantastic opportunity and I would encourage all students with an interest in design to apply.

"There are over 50,000 babies born in Scotland each year so the winning design will receive fantastic exposure throughout the country. We want these boxes to become a key part of the lives of parents and children so the design needs to be bold and inspirational."

He said Orkney and Clackmannanshire will be the first areas in Scotland to hand out the boxes when the pilot begins on New Year's Day.

The closing date for competition entries is November 17.