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The Scottish housing market is seeing stark regional divides, with some areas recording rapid price growth while others are stagnating or falling behind, according to the latest analysis by estate agency DJ Alexander.
Average house prices rose by £11,458 in the year to January 2025, a 6.5% increase that outpaces the 4.9% average rise seen in England and Wales.
The strongest gains were concentrated in and around the central belt, particularly Edinburgh and neighbouring local authorities.
David Alexander, chief executive of DJ Alexander Scotland, said: “As ever some parts of Scotland are booming while others appear to be treading water.
“The central belt remains the major draw for many homebuyers while rural areas such as Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Aberdeenshire and Highland have all seen average prices either fall or increase at a rate below inflation.”
East Renfrewshire recorded the highest annual price increase at £24,461, followed by Edinburgh (£24,071), Stirling (£19,837), East Lothian (£17,172) and East Dunbartonshire (£16,311).
In contrast, Argyll and Bute and Dundee both saw prices fall slightly, while Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire and Aberdeenshire posted gains of less than £2,200.
Alexander added: “An average difference in price of nearly £200,000 between Edinburgh and Inverclyde is really quite remarkable.”
He also noted that the market has remained resilient despite ongoing economic pressures. “The Scottish housing market continues to be buoyant… Whether this continues remains to be seen because this level of annual growth is quite unusual historically.”
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