The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Ability to Buy Index shows a 15% rise was recorded during the second quarter of 2012 and compared to the same period last year – five times better than the UK average of 3%.
Increased ability to buy is ascribed to a number of factors including lower house prices, and changes to income tax and National Insurance deductions, RBS said.
According to the index, first-time buyers north of the Border have to save for an average of 30 months to raise enough for a deposit, less than anywhere else in the UK.
It also said servicing a mortgage in Scotland takes up a smaller proportion of income than in other parts of the country.
Fionnuala Earley, RBS Group UK consumer economist, said: "At last some good news for first-time buyers – the UK ability to buy improved by 3% in Q2 (quarter two) 2012 compared with a year earlier. But Scottish first-time buyers saw a massive 15% improvement.
"Changes to tax and National Insurance put £408 more cash per year in the average Scottish first-time buyer's pocket.
"This, along with a steep fall in Scottish first-time buyer house prices in Q2 2012, made it more affordable to get on to the housing ladder.
"But the rising cost of essentials continued to eat away at after-tax income and reduced the increase in income available to service a loan or save for a deposit to just £215.
"The extra cash available means it should now take Scottish first-time buyers 30 months to save a deposit, four months less time than it would have done in Q1 2012 and a shorter time than anywhere else in the UK."
Earlier research found a fall in house prices was key to more first-time buyers getting on the property ladder this year.
Bank of Scotland said there were approximately 9000 first-time buyers in the first half of 2012 – up 21% on the same period last year.
Market conditions are also opening up a wider number of towns and cities to first- time buyers, with 93% of local authority areas now within their reach financially when comparing average earnings to house prices.
South Ayrshire and Stirling remain the most affordable, with Aberdeenshire the most expensive, the bank said.
Clyde Property, one of Scotland's biggest estate agents, said the findings of the most recent study chimed with its own experience as the availability of mortgages had improved significantly over the past four to five months.
A spokesman for the company said: "The availability of mortgages for first-time buyers has improved significantly since the dark days of two or three years ago, when many lenders withdrew products aimed at them.
"We think this is now feeding through to the data, and it fits with what we are hearing across our branch network in central Scotland.
"There is greater availability (of mortgages) for first-time buyers and this is having a knock-on effect further up the chain. When people get their foot on the housing ladder, it has a ripple effect upwards through the chain.
"There definitely has been a shift over the past four to five months. Lenders are much more willing to accept lower deposits of 10% or 15% than they were previously."
