Priciest seaside towns revealed

The home of golf has been named as the least affordable Scottish seaside location for housebuyers, according to new research.

The study found house prices in St Andrews were £240,660 - some 8.63 times the average salary in the town.

However, average house prices in North Berwick made it the most expensive seaside town to buy property at £268,418.

The figures were revealed by the Bank of Scotland in its latest seaside towns review.

The findings were based on an average house-price-to-earnings ratio.

Girvan had the most affordable seaside homes, with the average cost at 2.97 times local average earnings.

Property in Wick, with an average price of £80,588, was the cheapest of all coastal towns.

The average price of a house in five of the 10 cheapest seaside towns - Wick, Saltcoats, Thurso, Girvan and Stranraer - was under £100,000.

Homes in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, saw the biggest increase in average prices, rising by 111% from £53,641 to £113,362 between 2004 and 2009.

Average house prices in all seaside towns surveyed rose by 37% over the period, slightly more than the 33% overall increase in Scotland.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Bank of Scotland, said: "Living on the Scottish coast offers many attractions, including a typically high quality of life and attractive surroundings. As a result, property in seaside towns is often very popular with homebuyers.

"Whilst property in Scottish seaside towns can be more expensive than elsewhere, exceptional value for money can still be found for those searching to realise their dream of living near the sea."