Scotland's economy has continued to strengthen in the first half of 2018 with annual GDP growth the strongest since 2014 and above the UK as a whole, according to the latest State of the Economy Report.

Published today by the Scottish government, the report also shows that independent growth forecasts suggest growth could strengthen further over the next couple of years, however, uncertainty relating to the form and timing of agreement for leaving the EU remains a key concern for many sectors of the economy. This may lead to greater volatility as companies consider investment plans over the coming months to protect supply chains and identify alternative routes to service customers.

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Other highlights of the report include:

• GDP growth is at its highest annual rate since 2014 and above the UK.

• The labour market continues to perform strongly with unemployment falling over the past year and remaining close to its record level.

• There are signals that business and consumer sentiment have softened in recent months amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty.

• Independent forecasts for the economy are reflecting stronger performance, however Brexit remains the main risk.

Welcoming the reports, Economy Secretary, Derek Mackay said: "Following the very positive GDP data published last month, showing Scottish GDP growing and outpaced growth in the UK as a whole, I welcome this latest State of the Economy report which provides a broader analysis of Scottish economic performance.

"With Scotland's economy continuing to grow throughout the year, it's good to see the improving outlook for the oil and gas sector coming to fruition alongside the continued strong performance in our labour market.

"Scotland's economy is strong and we are one of the top destinations for inward investment, whilst Scottish productivity has grown faster than the UK's over the past decade.

"We are using the powers we have to boost the economy and ensure our economic potential is realised at the same time as we try to mitigate the damage Brexit will cause."