The capital now has an average price of £2,218 per square metre (PSM), an increase of 173% since 1996. Glasgow saw the second largest gain of 133% over the decade, followed by Inverness (132%).
The remaining Scottish cities – Dundee, Aberdeen and Stirling - have all seen prices rise by more than 100% since 1996. Over a one year period Aberdeen has seen the strongest growth, up 26%.
Brighton leads UK-wide property price growth Properties in Brighton now have an average price of £2,559 per square metre (psm), following rises of 280% since 1996. Truro in Cornwall saw the second largest UK gain of 270% since 1996, followed by London at 254%. Edinburgh is the only Scottish city to feature in the top ten list of the UK's most expensive cities.
London has most expensive property per square metre London is the UK's most expensive city for property with an average price of £3,883 psm in 2006, a 14% increase on the previous year's figure of £3,395.
Ten years ago, St Albans was the most expensive city at £1,436 psm, compared with £1,097 for London. St Albans is now ranked third with an average price of £2,903, behind Oxford at £3,010.
Armagh was the city in Northern Ireland with the largest increase over the past ten years of 231%, and is the sixth-largest riser in the UK as a whole. Belfast is ranked seventh in terms of growth since 1996 at 229%.
Martin Ellis, chief economist at Bank of Scotland, said: "Over the past ten years Edinburgh has seen the fastest increase in price per square metre, with a gain of 173%. Properties in the city now cost £2,218 per square metre, compared with £811 ten years ago. Aberdeen has one of the highest increases per square metre over a one year period across the UK, only falling behind Armagh, Newry, Belfast, Lisburn and Londonderry."
