By Sandy Murray BBC News Online Scotland

The Scottish housing market is now one of the strongest in the UK.

Scottish buyers continue to push up house prices

In spite of official figures showing a dip in prices for Britain as a whole, growth north of the border is still well ahead of inflation.

The average property in Scotland is growing at an annual rate of 16.1%.

Figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister show the annual growth rate for the whole of the UK is 9.7%, after a fall in November.

The government's figures show the average property in Scotland is worth �98, 672.

The official measure of year-on-year growth in house prices shows Scotland just behind Wales and the north east of England among the British property hotspots.

In November, the month covered by the latest figures, the average price fell across the UK.

The major mortgage-lenders insist that this does not represent the start of a collapse in house prices.

They think the worst outcome is likely to be a levelling-off in the rate of price increase.

Scotland's strength

In Scotland, professional advisers believe the market will continue to outperform the south of England.

Mark Horden, marketing manager of the Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre, said: "Everybody refers to 2003 as the 'year of the North' in property... meaning that prices in Scotland and the North of England have outperformed London and the Southeast. "

"The Scottish market is starting this year much stronger than most other parts of the UK."

"It's worth remembering that the last time the south of England experienced serious difficulties with falling prices, prices in Scotland levelled off but did not fall."

Soft landing

The strength of the housing market has played a significant part in supporting the wider UK economy.

People who own property which has steadily increased in value have been encouraged to borrow.

The dramatic rises in house prices of recent years are unlikely to continue.