Scotland is gaining ground as a key destination for overseas property investment with new data pointing to a sustained rise in demand from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) buyers.
Research from Sharia’a-compliant digital bank Nomo, using search data from Rightmove, shows Scotland has become one of the most searched UK regions among GCC residents, reflecting growing international appeal alongside steady house price growth.
The findings come as Nomo expands its property finance proposition into Scotland, adding to its existing coverage across England and Wales and signalling increased lender confidence in the market’s fundamentals.
In Q4 2025, Scotland accounted for 18% of all UK property searches from GCC-based users, consistently ranking within the top three regions alongside London. At one point in April 2025, Scotland matched London as the most searched location, with both regions accounting for 23% of activity.
UAE BUYERS
Demand is being driven largely by buyers in the UAE, who accounted for 60% of Scotland-focused searches, followed by Saudi Arabia at 29% – notably above its share of overall UK search activity.
Within Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow remain the dominant hotspots, accounting for 18% and 14% of searches respectively. Both cities continue to attract international interest due to their established employment markets, universities and cultural appeal.
Beyond the main cities, locations across the Central Belt including South Lanarkshire and Stirling are also seeing increased attention, supported by strong local economies and student demand.
The uptick in overseas interest aligns with strengthening price performance. According to the Halifax House Price Index, Scotland recorded the strongest annual house price growth of any mainland UK region, rising 5.4% to an average of £221,711 in January.
STRONG FUNDAMENTALS
Emma Bilan (main picture), Head of Property Finance at Nomo, says: “The data shows a clear affinity between GCC residents and Scottish property, particularly across Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“Scotland’s housing market continues to be supported by strong fundamentals – from steady price growth to diverse buyer demand.
“This is a key reason why we’ve expanded to Scotland and the response from brokers has already been strong. Whether it’s a new-build in Inverness or a Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh, we’re already seeing solid case volumes and expect demand to grow further in the coming months.”
