Owner occupation has risen by 12% in 10 years

The bank said Scotland has one of the UK's lowest levels of ownership but it has seen the fastest growth in the past 10 years.

The highest level of owner occupation was in East Renfrewshire, followed by East Dunbartonshire.

The lowest level of home ownership was in Glasgow.

The bank said the right-to-buy scheme has been a significant factor in the rise, along with the increased supply of new housing developments within commuting distance of the main cities.

The bank put owner occupation at 64% in Scotland, well below rates of 76% and 75% in the south east and south west of England respectively.

Highest and lowest in Scotland East Renfrewshire 83% East Dunbartonshire 81% Orkney Islands 72% Western Isles 72% Aberdeenshire 71% South Ayrshire 71% Edinburgh city 69% Inverclyde 60% East Ayrshire 59% Clackmannanshire 58% North Lanarkshire 58% Dundee city 54% West Dunbartonshire 54% Glasgow city 49%

However, there has been a 12% growth in home ownership in the past 10 years, three times the average growth in the rest of the UK.

In East Renfrewshire, 83% of homes were owner- occupied, followed by 81% in East Dunbartonshire. These were well above the UK average of 70%.

The lowest rate of owner occupation in Scotland - 49% - was in Glasgow city, with the lowest rates in the UK found in the central London boroughs of Tower Hamlets (29%) and Southwark (31%).

Tim Crawford, Bank of Scotland Group economist, said: "The massive growth in owner occupation levels in Scotland over the last 10 years reflects the fact that it is the most affordable place to live in the UK.

"In Scotland there is about a 35% difference between the highest and lowest areas of owner-occupation. Across the UK there is a 60-percentage point difference.