Many city slickers looking to retire in the peace and tranquillity of the Scottish countryside will be disappointed to learn that the prices of city homes fell by a greater amount than houses in the country. This will mean that many who are looking to sell their home in the city and buy in the country, will have to fork out more than initially expected or get less for their money. While at the other end of the spectrum, the fact that house prices in the country are more expensive than in the city, means that many first time buyers in rural areas are worse off than their urban counterparts.

According to the Bank of Scotland’s Rural Housing Review over the last year rural house prices fell in Scotland by an average of 11%, compared to a fall of 13% in urban areas of Scotland. Interestingly, the report indicates that it is cheaper to buy a house in urban areas than in the country, as the average house price in the city is currently around £144k compared to £177k in the country. And it certainly seems that first time buyers in the country get hit with a double whammy, as the cost of the average countryside property is 5.9 times the average annual earnings compared to 5.2 in urban areas.

However, it is important to note that there is a huge price variation between regions across Scotland with Aberdeenshire coming out as the most expensive. An average country home in this region will set you back around £214k, far higher than the average.

Even if one is looking to move into social housing, it will be more difficult in rural areas as social housing accounts for just 10% of overall properties. In comparison, social housing in the urban areas account for around 15% of total housing. Whichever way you look at it, living in rural Scotland can be an expensive pursuit.