Surveyors predict rise in Scottish house prices

Scottish house prices are expected to continue rising over the next few months after climbing in April, according to surveyors.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said demand for property continued to outpace supply last month.

This was despite a rise in the number of homes coming on to the market.

The growth of interest in the Scottish property market bucked the trend across the rest of the UK.

Demand for homes in the UK fell back for the first time in over a year, which Rics attributed in part to uncertainty over next month's European Union referendum.

The latest Rics UK residential market survey found sales remained steady across Scotland last month, with growth in activity expected to continue.

A net balance of 36% more respondents predicted an increase in Scottish property sales over the next quarter.

More surveyors also said they expected prices to rise over the next three months.

Rics in Scotland director Sarah Speirs said: "We are seeing a welcome increase in properties coming on to the market and we hope this will continue in coming months.

"However, as demand also continues to grow, this supply will not meet market needs and we call on the newly-elected Scottish government to make the increase of housing supply across all tenures a priority."