Are wealthy buyers stoking St Andrews' housing crisis?
St Andrews is facing an affordable housing crisis driven by high demand from wealthy buyers and tourists, with nearly one in five properties registered to non-Scottish addresses. Local residents and students are struggling to find housing, leading to calls for better balance in the town's development.
Why it matters
It illustrates the tension between global tourism/investment and the basic needs of local populations in historic university towns.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Andrew Picken and Morag Kinniburgh Getty Images The popularity of St Andrews continues to grow, putting pressure on local services and the supply of affordable housing A world class university and the home of golf in a pretty coastal town underline the appeal to many of living in St Andrews.
But the Fife town is in the grips of an affordable housing crisis, where property prices are being stoked by the influence of wealthy buyers from outwith Scotland.
New data shows nearly one in five properties in St Andrews were registered to an address outside of Scotland when purchased, including 164 buyers from the United States alone.
Locals say more needs to be done to improve the balance between serving the town's much-valued students and tourists, and its permanent residents.
The last census put the population of St Andrews at just over 16,000.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in