THE average house price in Scotland has grown by almost £5,000 in the past 12 months, new data has revealed.

According to the latest UK House Price Index (HPI), the average price of a property in Scotland last November was £143,033, up from £138,475 in the same month of 2015.

At the same time the number of homes changing hands has also gone up, with Scotland outperforming the rest of the UK in terms of market activity.

The HPI found that there were 9,352 residential sales in Scotland last September, an increase of 8.5 per cent on the previous year.

This compares with annual decreases in sales volumes of 22 per cent in England, 10.4 per cent in Wales and 10.7 per cent in Northern Ireland in September, the last month for which figures are available.

Kenny Crawford, Registers of Scotland director of commercial services, said: "The increase of 8.5 per cent is the first year-on-year increase in sales volumes in Scotland since March 2016, when volumes of sales increased by 45.4 per cent when compared with the previous year.

"Changes in Land and Buildings Transaction Tax are likely to have contributed to the significant increase in March and to the subsequent lower volumes in the following months.

"Volumes in September 2016 are also 18.6 per cent higher than in September 2014 and 26.7 per cent higher than in September 2013."

The highest number of sales in September last year were in Edinburgh (1,126), followed by Glasgow (1,104), Fife (634), South Lanarkshire (564), and North Lanarkshire (504).

The biggest price increase over the last year was in East Renfrewshire, where the average price rose 16.6 per cent to £225,312.

Edinburgh, which is home to Scotland's most highest average prices, saw a more modest rise of 1.5 per cent from £227,833 to £231,355.

Glasgow saw house prices grow by £4.2 per cent on average, from £114,892 to £119,734. However, the large amount of tenement flats for sale in Scotland's largest city tends to skew the average downwards.

The ongoing turmoil affecting the North East caused by the downturn in the oil and gas industry was once again revealed by figures which showed that Aberdeen saw the biggest decrease, with prices falling by 7.8 per cent to £171,530.

House prices also fell in surrounding surrounding Aberdeenshire by 4.9 per cent, from £200,826 to £191,072.

Across Scotland, all property types showed an increase in average price when compared to the previous year, with semi-detached homes recording the largest rise of 4.2 per cent to £149,735.

For property purchased by a first-time buyer, the average price was £115,946, 3.2 per cent up on the previous year.

Estate Agents have given a cautious welcome to the figures, saying that an increase in the number of properties being bought and sold was always welcome to see.

Faisal Choudhry Director of Scottish Research at Savills, said: "Transaction levels are what matters when judging the health of the market, rather than house prices.

"If you want to move, you will quite often settle for the price which works for you rather than what the market says. But more activity shows that the market is performing well.

"Growth is being stimulated by historically low mortgage rates, and by the impact of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, which benefits most of the market."

However, he sounded a note of caution saying that the uncertainty of Brexit would likely have an impact on the market.

Mr Choudhry said: "I do expect growth to slow as the year goes on, although there will be exceptions such as parts of Edinburgh and the Central Belt."