Is East Lothian the new home of golf?

New figures suggest East Lothian has pulled ahead of Fife as Scotland’s leading golf property market, as the Genesis Scottish Open returns to The Renaissance Club this week (9–13 July).

More homes were sold in East Lothian’s prime golf locations than in the golf meccas of Fife in 2025, according to research analysing property sales over £500,000 in Gullane, Archerfield and North Berwick, compared with St Andrews and Elie and Earlsferry over the past two and a half years.

The research into the golf prime-property market was produced for buying agency Fyndd by data consultancy HomeBench.

There were 91 sales over £500,000 across East Lothian’s golf markets last year, compared with 68 in St Andrews, as well as in Elie and Earlsferry. So far in 2026, 39 homes have sold in East Lothian’s golf property hotspots compared to 33 in Fife, highlighting the growing appeal of Scotland’s ‘golf coast’.

North Berwick continued its rise, recording 63 sales over £500,000 in 2025, narrowly overtaking St Andrews on 62. A year earlier, in 2024, St Andrews had comfortably outperformed North Berwick with 74 sales compared to 44, while Fife’s 88 golf prime-property sales compared to 74 in East Lothian, underlining how quickly buyer demand has evolved.

While North Berwick led the market for transaction volumes, Archerfield emerged as Scotland’s highest-value golf residential market, with average sale prices of almost £1.6m (£1,597,727) over the past 12 months.

Examining the average value in the prime £500,000 plus market, two more areas broke the £1m plus barrier, with Elie and Earlsferry at £1,071,875, in second place, closely followed by Gullane (£1,019,417) in third, compared with around £900,000 (£904,870) in St Andrews.

Jamie McNeill, director of Fyndd, said: “Over the last 18 months we’ve seen a noticeable rise in demand for homes across East Lothian’s golf coast, particularly around Archerfield, Gullane and North Berwick, while demand in St Andrews has softened slightly.

“International buyers increasingly see East Lothian as offering the complete lifestyle package. Many begin their Scottish golf journey in St Andrews before discovering the quality and variety of courses elsewhere, returning to play North Berwick, Muirfield, Gullane and Dunbar to name a few. The Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club has also helped showcase East Lothian to an international audience.

“Archerfield is perhaps the clearest example of that evolution. It has become Scotland’s

highest-value golf residential market and, in my experience, one of Scotland’s most active luxury golf property markets, overtaking Gleneagles in recent years. Buyers are drawn not only by the golf, but by the privacy, exceptional homes, beaches and easy access to Edinburgh.

“North Berwick and East Lothian’s golf towns offer beautiful beaches, accessibility, charm, outdoor pursuits, excellent schools and easy connections to Edinburgh alongside world-class golf. In terms of lifestyle, they offer many buyers a broader proposition than towns further north of the Firth of Forth. These figures suggest East Lothian’s appeal continues to grow.”

He added: “Scotland’s reputation as the ‘home of golf’ continues to underpin some of

the country’s most desirable property markets. What is changing is where buyers choose to base themselves. East Lothian’s golf coast has matured into one of Scotland’s premier lifestyle destinations, and these figures suggest more buyers are recognising that.”

www.fyndd.co.uk 

Photography: Will Scott, of Jamie McNeill, director of Fyndd