According to research from Nationwide Building Society, first time buyers face spending at least six times their annual wages to get on the property ladder in nearly half of Britain’s local authority areas.

In 2016, just over a third of local authority areas had average house price-to-earnings ratios of six or more.

However, East Ayrshire is the most affordable place for first time buyers in Britain, with Kilmarnock and Cumnock being the biggest areas.

Buyers looking to purchase a home in East Ayrshire would spend just under two and a half times of their earnings.

Edinburgh was revealed to be the least affordable place in Scotland.

Andrew Harvey, a senior economist at Nationwide, said: “East Ayrshire, in Scotland, continues to be the most affordable authority in Great Britain, with average first time buyer house prices just 2.4 times average earnings.

“East Ayrshire covers a large geographic area to the south of Glasgow, but its main towns are Kilmarnock and Cumnock.” 

Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter: Most and least affordable places in Scotland for first-time home buyers revealed (Canva)Most and least affordable places in Scotland for first-time home buyers revealed (Canva)

He said that, in Scotland, Aberdeen has seen the biggest improvement in housing affordability since 2016, largely due to house price falls there.

How does Scotland compare with the rest of Britain?

The London borough of Kensington and Chelsea is the least affordable place for first time buyers.

Buyers would be looking at paying almost a whopping 15 times their earnings to buy a home in Kensington and Chelsea.

Least affordable local authority areas

  • London, Kensington and Chelsea
  • South East, Oxford
  • East of England, Hertsmere
  • South West, Cotswold
  • East Midlands, Rutland
  • Yorkshire and the Humber, Ryedale
  • West Midlands, Malvern Hills
  • North West, South Lakeland
  • Wales, Vale of Glamorgan
  • Scotland, City of Edinburgh
  • North East, North Tyneside

Most affordable local authority areas

  • Scotland, East Ayrshire
  • North West, Copeland
  • North East, County Durham
  • Wales, Merthyr Tydfil
  • Yorkshire and the Humber, Barnsley
  • West Midlands, Stoke-on-Trent
  • East Midlands, Bolsover
  • East of England, Great Yarmouth
  • South West, Swindon
  • South East, Southampton
  • London, Bromley