Scotland’s most expensive seaside properties in the north and north-east are in Nairn and Stonehaven, a new study from the Bank of Scotland has found.
Those looking to settle in the two coastal towns will have to fork out a hefty £234,470 and £248,633 respectively to take in the sea air.
Lossiemouth saw the largest house price increase from 2021 to 2022 with property soaring 23% in cost to £197,364.
Conversely, those looking for more of a bargain will be better off house-hunting in Invergordon (£114,962), Wick (£124,857), Thurso (£126,716) and Fraserburgh (£132,364) where some of the most affordable properties next to the sea can be found.
The Bank of Scotland Seaside Homes Review tracks house price movements in 54 seaside locations in Scotland and 209 in total in Great Britain with the review based on house price data from the Land Registry and Registers of Scotland.
House hunters after a home by the sea in Scotland will find that, on average, properties cost £182,488. The cost of coastal homes rose by almost a third (31%) between 2012 and 2022.
Scotland’s coastline ‘truly breathtaking’
Scotland’s most expensive seaside homes are in North Berwick costing more than a whopping £440,000 on average, while St Andrews is second priciest, with properties coming in at an average of £421,528.
Bank of Scotland mortgages director Graham Blair said: “It’s undeniable much of Scotland’s coastline is truly breathtaking, and it’s easy to see why the pretty seaside town of North Berwick is still Scotland’s most expensive seaside location for house hunters, with properties costing over £440,000 on average.
“St Andrews – well known for its world-famous university and golf courses – isn’t far behind, with properties in the area fetching a similar price tag.
“However, many of Scotland’s coastal towns have average house prices that are much lower.
“While many things can influence the price of a home, socio-economic factors are perhaps playing a greater role in some coastal locations.
“While there are doubtless many property hot spots, a sea view isn’t necessarily supporting house prices in Scottish towns most in need of investment.”
During the last decade (2012-2022) the largest price rises saw Kirkwall take top spot increasing a huge 62% to £193,842.
Coastal prices across UK up 56%
This compares to a Scottish seaside 2012 average of £139,509 rising to £182,488 in 2022, up 31%.
Across the UK during the same period, coastal house prices rose from £195,509 to £304,460, a leap of 56%.
Some nine of the 10 least expensive British seaside locations are in Scotland.
Prices used are simple arithmetic (crude) averages. The prices are not standardised and therefore can be affected by changes in the sample from period to period.
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