HOUSE prices in Scotland have increased by 4.3 per cent but the value of properties in Aberdeen have slumped for the 15th consecutive month.
New figures show Aberdeen continues to feel the impact of the oil industry downturn amid predictions that the UK oil and gas sector could shed 120,000 jobs by the end of this year.
While average house prices in Europe's oil capital dropped by 8.7 per cent to £175,922, average house prices in Scotland rose 4.3 per cent in the last year.
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The Registers of Scotland said the biggest price increase over the last year was in East Renfrewshire, where the value of the average house increased 12.7 per cent to £219,511.
In Aberdeen the number of sales fell by 115 to 358 this August resulting £68 million worth of sales compared to £100 million a year ago.
Kenny Crawford, Registers of Scotland's director of commercial services, said the average house price in Aberdeen stood at £175,922, compared to £192,744 in August 2015.
He said: "Overall, average prices in the area have fallen consistently over the last 15 months when comparing monthly average price figures with the figures for the same month in the previous year.
"We still may be seeing some impact from changes in land and buildings transaction tax that came into effect on April 1 2016 for additional dwellings, such as second homes and buy-to-let properties.
"These changes are likely to have contributed to the significant increase in volumes seen in March and to the subsequent lower volumes that have followed in April, May and June."
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Mr Crawford said that in the five months since the House Price Index was first published in June 2016, the City of Aberdeen has "shown each month the biggest annual percentage decrease in average price of all of Scotland’s local authority areas".
Scotland-wide the cost of a property was £144,561 on average in August 2016, up from £138,564 in that month in 2015
There was also a 1.3 per cent increase on the previous month, according to the UK House Price Index Scotland for August 2016.
David Marshall, of Warners Solicitors and Estate Agents, said: "The consistent pattern over the first six months of 2016 was one of demand from buyers outstripping the supply of properties coming onto the market, but during the summer that situation was exacerbated.
“Over the summer, we saw a dip in the number of homes coming onto the market, with many families heading off on holiday to enjoy the sun.
“But the number of buyer enquiries we were receiving remained as high as it was between April and June though, meaning that the excess of demand over supply grew further.
“As a result sellers, who were already in a strong position in the market, saw their position strengthen further during July and August."
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There were 8,620 residential sales across Scotland in June 2016, down 7.4 per cent on the previous year but up 20.9 per cent on the previous month.
Edinburgh saw the most sales in June 2016 with 1,053, followed by Glasgow City (1,003), South Lanarkshire (568), Fife (515) and North Lanarkshire (448).
Figures for the later months are not yet available.
Across Scotland, all property types showed a rise in average price when compared with the previous year, with semi-detached properties showing the biggest increase of 5.6 per cent to £151,917.
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