Scotland’s property hotspots have been named, and it is two little recognised places which made the list, both within commuting distance of the country’s two biggest cities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Halifax unveiled its list of the biggest UK regional house price risers and fallers, with one Scots city and one town in the top 10.
Properties in Dunfermline in Fife and Hamilton in South Lanarkshire increased by more than 10% in the calendar year, with people desperate to move to the two places. Both have unique claims to fame and growing communities who live close to the city but also enjoy being near rural areas.
Growth in the two settlements even surpassed London boroughs such as Harrow, Enfield and Westminster which all suffered price drops in the last 12 months. Scotland came fourth overall in Britain’s nations and regions for house price growth, rising by just under 6%.
Dunfermline finished ninth with an average house price of £230,379, an increase of 10.8%, with Hamilton not far behind on £229,835, a rise of 10.3%. It enjoys a burgeoning reputation due to being Scotland’s newest city, being awarded this honour as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
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The Fife city is connected to Edinburgh by the £1.35bn Queensferry Crossing which sometimes closes due to falling ice, a major design flaw ignored by the SNP. It is also less than an hour by rail to the capital meaning that commuters can afford to live there instead of Edinburgh.
Its unusual claim to fame is its set of peacocks which live freely in Pittencrieff Park thanks to philanthropist Henry Beveridge who returned to his hometown from India. He brought the birds with him and they’ve famously had the freedom of the town ever since. They are most often seen along the lower end of the High Street, but have also ventured as far as the nearby villages.
Pittencrieff Park
(Image: Dkardokas/CCbySA2.0)
They were handed the freedom of the city earlier this year as they have become a much-loved staple in Dunfermline. A sanctuary was built to look after them in 2016 which is manned mainly by volunteers who ensure they are looked after.
Two Dunfermline men are often cited as taking golf to the US, with John Reid and Robert Lockhart setting up a hole in an orchard, before Reid set up the USA’s first golf club the same year, with Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Yonkers, New York.
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Hamilton is located right next to the M74 which offers speedy access to the central belt, Glasgow and the south of the country. It has regular train links to Glasgow which sits just half an hour away, meaning it has also become a major commuting town.
It was renamed Hamilton after the royals the Dukes of Hamilton with the family constructing many landmarks in the town. Hamilton Mausoleum has one of the more unique claims to fame as it has the longest-lasting echo of any building in the world.
Across Scotland, Halifax said homes saw a rise of 5.9 per cent, taking the cost of the average property from £233,360 last year to £247,094 in 2024. This amounted to a cash gain of £13,733.
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