The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Cupar named the top spot in rural Scotland
Cupar is currently the most indemand rural town in Scotland for home-buyers. According to property website Rightmove, it ranks behind Frodsham in Cheshire as the most desirable town of its type in the UK.
The market town’s appeal is no surprise for those living in Cupar. But what is it about the area that attracts people and makes them want to stay?
The average asking price for a house in Cupar is £215,356 – well below any of the other nine towns included in the Rightmove ranking.
Rightmove says: “There are some serious country houses on the outskirts of this ancient town in east Scotland, and its location just 10 miles or so from the glorious east coast is hard to beat.
“Alongside farmhouses and stone-built cottages, Cupar offers affordable houses and flats in the vibrant town centre.
“Commuter trains to
Edinburgh take just over an hour.”
But Cupar solicitor Bill Pagan, chairman of Cupar Development Trust, says there’s more to it than that.
He says: “Cupar is punching above its weight, and there are a lot of reasons people want to come here. We’re on the main railway line, but we’re also at the crossroad for Stagecoach Express buses.
“Buses come from Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and St Andrews, and you can get a bus direct to Glasgow airport.”
Bill adds: “I live in the town centre, and within walking distance I have four supermarkets and endless local quality independent shops. I can get anything done within about a five to six-minute walk.”
Andrew Thomson, chairman of the Cuparnow steering group, says: “Cupar’s town centre is vibrant, and through Cuparnow we are working hard to make more people aware of all that it has to offer.”
Jim Hair, chairman of the Association of Businesses in Cupar and District, agrees.
He set up his accountancy business in the town 40 years ago has never regretted it.
“It looks like the rest of the UK is wakening up to the fact that this is a great place to both live and work.”
Rightmove’s 10 most indemand rural locations for buyers are:
1. Frodsham, Cheshire (average property asking price £322,242).
2. Cupar, Fife (£215,356).
3. Manningtree, Essex (£376,764).
4. Cromer, Norfolk (275,106).
5. St Ives, Cornwall (£494,393).
6. Iver, Buckinghamshire (£633,810).
7. Carnforth, Lancashire (£261,986).
8. Denham, Uxbridge, Middlesex (£601,585).
9. Alnwick, Northumberland (£260,183).
10. Pulborough, West Sussex (£613,589).