According to statistics from Registers of Scotland, the average price of a Scottish residential property has decreased by 2.2% over the last quarter.

While an average property in Scotland would set buyers back £143,055 during December 2006, the same residence would now only cost £139,836.

Regionally, property prices in Lothian are the most expensive with the average price recorded at £178,139, constituting a 1.5% decrease on the previous quarter but still 11.3% higher than for the same period last year. The Grampian region has seen the highest year-on-year growth with a 28.1% increase, boosting house prices to an average of £150,627.