High house prices on East Lothian's ‘Golf Coast’ are par for the course
Scotland’s premier towns – and their golfing connections – are popuilar with overseas buyers, says Andrew Smith
The Scottish Open returned to East Lothian in 2018 and has been played there ever since. It returns to the Renaissance Club again this week, a year on from Robert MacIntyre holing a putt on the 18th green to win his home open championship for the first time.
East Lothian's coastal and rural towns and villages will be abuzz again this weekend, with locals and tourists from across the globe soaking up the atmosphere around one of Scotland's leading sporting events, and hopefully a bit of sunshine too on the ‘Golf Coast’.
East Lothian is notable due to its position as one of Scotland's most sought-after areas for homeowners, reflected in it having some of the country's highest house prices. In fact, Gullane (sixth), North Berwick (fifth), Longniddry (third) and Aberlady (seventh) all rank in the top ten Scottish towns by average house price.
In addition to the scattering of some of the world’s most celebrated golf courses, the region’s towns and villages offer a blend of natural beauty, outdoor activities and coastal walks. They also have easy access to Edinburgh by rail and road.
In Fife, St Andrews and Strathkinness also rank in the national top 10, fourth and tenth respectively. Residents have access to St Andrews Links, which is rightly celebrated as one of the greatest golf courses on earth. The Home of Golf has hosted 30 Open Championships and is set to host the tournament once again in 2027.
Auchterarder, known as the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’ is home to former Ryder Cup venue Gleneagles Golf Resort. Auchterarder ranks eighth in the list of Scotland’s most expensive towns, with an average house price of around £375,000 over the last 12 months.
Elie & Earlsferry ranks number one in average house price out of all Scottish towns at approximately £725,000 over the last 12 months. This high value area is also home to the highly revered Elie Links and new golfer’s favourite, Dumbarnie Golf Links.
Scotland’s premier towns are popular with international buyers, including Americans, in no small part due to the peaceful lifestyle and breadth of high-quality golf courses. Since the start of 2025, international buyers from America viewing Rettie’s listings have increased by 38 per cent year-on-year. This spike coincides with President Trump’s second inauguration. The President, of course, has his own connections with Scotland and golf, although this may not be the main factor in driving the traffic!
In terms of our overseas viewings, the US is second only to Spain, with the US states generating the highest amounts of this traffic being North Carolina, California, Virginia, and New York.
With more than five million people in the US with Scottish ancestry, interest in Scotland as a place to visit has always been high. However, now we’re seeing increasing numbers looking at it as a place to live as well.
The growing interest coincides with Rettie’s release of high-quality properties like the Fairways in Gullane, designed by Lorn Macneal Architects, which offers stunning views over the hallowed links of Muirfield.
Andrew Smith, Director of Country House Sales, Rettie