Young home buyers seek urban route

YOUNG Scottish professionals are seeking urban hotspots to put down roots, according to new research.

The top 10 locations are in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, the survey revealed.

Leith, in the capital, topped the list with an average house price of £144,790, almost one-third lower than the city average.

In Glasgow, the leading areas are Pollokshields and Shawlands, where the average price for a house is £138,302.

The so-called young urbanite professionals are also buying property in Aberdeen city centre, where the average price is £142,721.

The rest of the top 10 features other parts of the three cities, including Hillhead in Glasgow, Mannofield in Aberdeen, and north-east Edinburgh.

Nitesh Patel, housing economist at the Bank of Scotland, which released the figures, 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 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.”