A home by the Scottish sea saves an average of £27,000

• Scotland’s seaside homes costs £27,146 less than the rest of Scotland on average

• House prices in seaside towns have risen by 8%, less than half the rate of the rest of Scotland over the last five years

• Nine out of ten of the most expensive seaside areas are situated on the East coast

Homebuyers could save up £27,146 by purchasing a home in one of Scotland's seaside towns, compared to the rest of the country, according to research from Bank of Scotland.

Over the last five years, average seaside property prices have increased by £11,161 (8%). This is much lower than the rise in house prices seen across Scotland as a whole, with homes in Scottish towns costing £179,141 on average, a rise of 14% over five years. When looking at house prices in seaside towns across Great Britain, property prices have jumped £41,532 (21%), over this time.

East – West coast house divide

Scotland’s most expensive properties are primarily located on the east coast. For the third year running, the scenic town of North Berwick is the most expensive seaside town with an average house price of £346,225. St Andrews is the second most expensive (£316,635), followed by Newtonhill (£221,515), Stonehaven (£218,163) and Dunbar (£205,000). (Table 3)

Live by the seaside for less than £100,000

Despite rising prices, home buyers looking for a seaside pad near the £100,000 mark, have a number of locations they could consider. Port Bannatyne is the least expensive in Scotland, and the UK, with an average house price of £86,830. The second most affordable seaside location is Campbeltown with an average of just £87,651, followed by Millport, where the average house price is £91,850. (Table 4)

Graham Blair, Head of Mortgages at Bank of Scotland, said:

"Scottish seaside towns are highly popular places to live, offering sought-after scenery, lifestyle and, more often than you might expect, good weather. For anyone looking to move, seaside towns in Scotland provide good value in comparison to seaside towns in other parts of the UK. The continued price growth in Scottish seaside towns overall suggests the popularity of coastal living isn’t wavering.”