Young urban professionals seek the sunshine in Leith

IT’s not best-known for its yuppies, but Leith has become one of the new hotspots for urban professionals.

Leith is the No 1 spot for young urban professionals wishing to buy a home, according to the Bank of Scotland. Relatively low prices, great access to the city centre and lively nightlife all help make the area attractive to young homebuyers, according to the bank.

In Leith, the average house price is £144,790 – almost one third cheaper than the city average. In Glasgow, the leading areas are Pollokshields and Shawlands, where the average price for a house is £138,302.

Young house-buyers are also keen to buy in Aberdeen city centre, where the average price is £142,721.

Nitesh Patel, housing economist at the bank, said: “The typical profile of young professionals is that they tend to have university qualifications, are in well-paid occupations and like to take full advantage of living in or close to the city.

“Our analysis certainly supports this with areas within Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen identified as the leading hotspots for young aspiring urbanites.

“Unlike in many other parts of Britain, young buyers in Scotland don’t always have to pay a significant premium for a property to live in these areas. In fact, in many of the leading hotspots young professionals can benefit from prices that are lower than those in the city as a whole.”