House prices in Scotland are at their highest level since records began, according to a report published by Registers of Scotland (RoS).

The figures show the average house price in Scotland in the second quarter was £170,190, up 5.2% on the same period in 2013. This is the highest figure since RoS began compiling quarterly house price statistics in 2003.

Total volume of sales was up from July to September, with an increase of 9.1% on the same quarter in the previous year. This represents the highest volume of sales for any quarter since quarter one of 2008-09.

Registers of Scotland’s director of commercial services, Kenny Crawford, commented: "This is the second consecutive quarter in which the annual increase in average house price has risen by over 5 per cent, bringing the average property price above pre-economic downturn levels, to just over £170,000. This, combined with the increase in sales volumes, has brought the total value of sales across Scotland to just under £4.5bn for the quarter, up 14.8% on the same period last year."

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Renfrewshire recorded the highest percentage rise in average price compared with the same quarter of the previous year, up 17.2% to £137,072. The City of Edinburgh recorded the highest average at £235,402, a rise of 5.6% compared with the same quarter in the previous year. The largest percentage fall in price was Scottish Borders which showed a drop of 5.7% with an average price of £164,448.

The City of Edinburgh is still the biggest market, with sales of just under £759 million for the quarter showing an increase of 17.9% compared with the same quarter last year.

East Dunbartonshire showed the highest percentage rise with the value of sales increasing by 36.4% compared to the previous year.

All property types showed an increase in average house price in this quarter, with the biggest increase being in terraced properties at 5.3%. The largest sales volumes came from detached properties, which went up by 11.2% on the previous year.

(IT/CD)