JK Rowling is the patron of the MS Society Scotland

The best-selling writer, who lost her mother to the disease, will receive a Doctor of Laws next month.

The author, patron of the MS Society Scotland, has won fans across the world for her tales of the apprentice wizard.

She said: "I am extremely honoured to be receiving this honorary degree from such a distinguished university."

The fight against the debilitating disease has been close to Rowling's heart since her mother died from the condition at the age of 45.

She has made a large donation to help set up a MS research centre in Edinburgh.

The author will receive her degree on 6 July.

MS is a condition of the central nervous system that impairs the brain's ability to transmit instructions to the muscles.