July 11, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET
The Home of Golf’s kerb appeal among upmarket property buyers has slipped relative to the area around this week’s Genesis Scottish Open, according to a new analysis of home sales in both regions.
The research by data consultancy HomeBench on behalf of buying agency Fyndd shows there were more transactions valued at £500,000 or more in East Lothian’s golfing hotspots of Gullane, Archerfield and North Berwick than in the mecca around St. Andrews in 2025. That trend has continued into the current year.
There were 91 such sales in East Lothian last year, compared with 68 in St. Andrews and Elie & Earlsferry. So far in 2026, 39 homes have been sold in East Lothian’s prime golf property markets, compared to 33 in Fife.
North Berwick recorded 63 sales over £500,000 in 2025, narrowly overtaking St. Andrews on 62. In the previous year St. Andrews had comfortably outperformed North Berwick with 74 sales compared to 44, while Fife’s 88 prime golf property sales compared to 74 in East Lothian.
While North Berwick led the market for transaction volumes in 2025, Archerfield emerged as Scotland’s highest-value golf residential market, with average sale prices of almost £1.6 million over the past 12 months. “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,” said Jamie McNeill, director of Fyndd.
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“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 helped to showcase East Lothian to an international audience, he said, with Archerfield having overtaken Gleneagles in recent years as one of Scotland’s most active luxury golf property markets.rfield Estate is home to the Renaissance Club, where competition in the Genesis Scottish Open is taking place for the eighth year running.
Two further areas broke the £1m-plus barrier, with Elie & Earlsferry (£1,071,875) in second place, closely followed by Gullane (£1,019,417) in third, compared to £904,870 in St. Andrews.
“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,” Mr McNeill said.
“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.”