Pope Francis will not travel to Scotland for the UN's COP26 climate conference next month, the Vatican has confirmed.

It had been previously believed that the 84-year-old would attend the Glasgow summit for the first papal visit to Scotland since 2010.

However the Vatican has since said its delegation to the summit would be led by Cardinal Parolin, its secretary of state.

COP26 is taking place in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.

As the BBC reports, Pope Francis was expected to be among about 120 world leaders due to attend the event to lay out plans to cut emissions causing climate change.

Organisers have confirmed that the summit will be attended by the Queen, and US President Joe Biden has said he is "anxious" to be there.

It had been rumoured that Pope Francis would attend the summit - but Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican Press Office, told journalists on Friday that Cardinal Parolin will take part instead.

Bruni told Vatican News: “I can specify that the delegation will be led by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness.”