Scottish areas are exhibiting a strong presence on Halifax’s new list of next year’s property hotspots.
Heading up the list of the top-ten towns for house price growth is Lochgelly, where prices are 31 per cent higher than the regional average according to the mortgage lender, with average prices forecast to stand at £118,838.
The top five is dominated by Scottish towns, with Paisley, Greenock and Aberdeen occupying second, third and fourth places respectively.
Prices in both Paisley and Greenock are 19 per cent higher than the regional average, with the former’s average price set to be £140,338 and the latter’s £140,512 next year.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen homes look set to cost an average of £202,755 in 2008 – the city’s house prices are currently 17 per cent higher than the average for the region.
Colin Kemp, managing director at Halifax Estate Agents, said: "Those areas that are likely to record the biggest price gains will tend to be those with a combination of good transport links to a major conurbation and relatively low average prices."
Nationwide last week reported an average fall in house prices of 0.5 per cent in December.