Scotland’s most desirable coastal towns as average house price jumps to £325,000
“We see coastal towns continuing to play a pivotal role in Scotland’s broader housing landscape, both economically and demographically in the years ahead” – John Boyle, Rettie
Scotland is experiencing a “rising tide” of house prices in some of its most desirable coastal towns, new research has revealed.
Almost half of the country’s top 20 most expensive areas are to be found in coastal communities, according to the study by property firm Rettie.
The east coast of the country dominates, with Fife and East Lothian home to nine of the top ten coastal towns by average house price. The average price of a home in Scotland’s coastal towns in 2025 is £325,000, compared to a national average of £230,000.
Elie and Earlsferry in Fife takes top place for the highest priced Scottish coastal community with an average price close to £572,000, Gullane takes second spot at £522,000, while Longniddry beats St Andrews and North Berwick for third spot with an average price of about £485,000.
The latest research reveals that the top ten Scottish coastal towns and communities by average house price are Elie and Earlsferry (£571,777), Gullane (£522,176), Longniddry (£485,349), St Andrews (£458,733), North Berwick (£454,844), Aberdour (£393,611), Findhorn (£362,767), Pittenweem (£347,700), Crail (£335,335) and Dunbar (£324,625).
Rettie has also identified the relatively high growth in a number of Scotland’s coastal towns since 2019 with Longniddry and St Andrews recording the highest growth of the top five coastal towns, up by 39 per cent and 33 per cent respectively over that period. The research also found that the average price in Scotland’s top five coastal towns is above £450,000.
John Boyle, Rettie’s director for strategy and research, said: “Coastal settlements in Scotland are much sought after, particularly on the east coast, as demonstrated by the high average high price in these areas and the strong level of growth of the last few years. The demand to live in these areas comfortably exceeds the supply available, and we see coastal towns continuing to play a pivotal role in Scotland’s broader housing landscape, both economically and demographically in the years ahead.”
Fellow Rettie director George Lorimer noted that St Andrews, with its strong academic and golfing connections, and the community of Elie and Earlsferry continued to demonstrate the “enduring strength of Fife’s coastal market”.
He added: “St Andrews itself remains one of Scotland’s most consistently sought after destinations, underpinned by its global profile, exceptional amenities and the steady demand generated by the university and the town’s world-renowned golf heritage.”
Emma Hay, associate director, town and country homes at Rettie, said: “East Lothian’s coastal towns and villages continue to stand out among Scotland’s most resilient and desirable property markets. Each town offers its own unique blend of lifestyle, connectivity and coastal character, yet all share the same underlying strength of demand consistently outstripping supply.
She added: “Longniddry’s exceptional growth over recent years, Gullane’s enduring appeal as a premium lifestyle destination, and North Berwick’s stability at the top end of the market collectively underline the depth and durability of buyer appetite here. These communities represent the very best of east coast living.”
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Rettie recently predicted that house prices were likely to have risen by an average of 3 per cent this year with Glasgow in top spot for growth. The firm Rettie said the below-inflation rise came amid a backdrop of modestly improving economic conditions.
The average house price in Glasgow grew by 5 per cent during the first eight months of the year, well ahead of the current annual inflation rate of 3.6 per cent, outstripping other Scottish cities, with growth in Edinburgh falling behind the national average.
On a 12-month rolling basis, the average house price in Glasgow has continued to outpace Scotland’s main cities, growing by more than 5 per cent to nearly £218,000. Edinburgh and Dundee have both grown by 1 per cent, while the average house price in Aberdeen has continued to decline, declining by 1.2 per cent.
However, the average house price in Edinburgh (about £338,000) continues to surpass other areas, according to the Rettie data released in late October.
Boyle said: “As we forecast at the start of 2025, the Scottish housing market has moved at a steady pace this year, with only modest uplifts in the key market metrics. The market remains in a delicate condition given that interest rates and mortgage rates remain high in a recent historical context and economic growth is limited.
“The new build sales market has shown some improvement but is well down on pre- 2022 levels. The rental market has cooled after substantial growth in rents and the increase in rental availability is a positive, but we are yet to see the full impacts of the new Housing Bill.”
Rettie also forecast an increase of 5 per cent in transaction levels during the year on the back of mortgage rate reductions and government intervention.
In the private rented sector, rental availability has increased in Scotland, moderating rent rises, the firm noted. However, it is likely that Scotland’s new Housing Bill will push landlords to raise rents within existing tenancies to market value over the next two years.
The average advertised rent in Scotland stood at £1,250 per calendar month, as of October’s study, representing the highest average on record.
The past couple of weeks have seen something of a post-Budget mortgage price war, with major lenders including Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland owner NatWest and Nationwide shaving their fixed-rate deals and reintroducing cashback incentives.
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