Scotland’s youngest home buyers can be found in Midlothian, according to latest research from Bank of Scotland.

The youngest first-time buyers have an average age of 27.

Unlike in England and Wales where there is almost a decade’s difference between the youngest and oldest first-time buyers, in Scotland there is relatively little variation across the country in the average age of first-time buyers, with the oldest at 30 years old. The average for Scotland as a whole is 28 one year below the UK average.

Some of the youngest buyers are in areas such as Clackmannanshire, Fife, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk, West Lothian and East Dunbartonshire – all with an average age of 28.

Average house prices tend to be relatively low in areas with the youngest first-time buyers, Bank of Scotland said. For example, over half of the 10 areas with the youngest first-time buyers have an average house price of 13% to 25% below the Scotland average. These include North Ayrshire (25%), North Lanarkshire (20%), Clackmannanshire (16%) and Fife (15%).

Generally, the areas with the youngest first-time buyers are also areas where housing affordability conditions are the most favourable. Nine of the 10 local areas with the youngest buyers have an average house price to average earnings ratio for first-time buyers below 4.0. These include North Ayrshire with a price to earnings ratio of 2.8, followed by North Lanarkshire (3.0), Fife (3.0) and Falkirk (3.1). With an average house price of £118,725, Midlothian has a price to average earnings ratio of 4.0.

In the 10 areas with the oldest first time buyers, six are areas where the average first-time buyer price is above the Scotland average of £105,401. These are Edinburgh (37%), Moray (7%), Highland (12%), Aberdeenshire (28%), East Lothian (47%) and East Renfrewshire (28%).

Nitesh Patel, housing economist at Bank of Scotland, said: “The variation in age between the youngest and oldest first buyers in Scotland is relatively low