Scottish tourism set to surge thanks to The Celebrity Traitors, new data reveals

Traitors fans are dreaming of a Scottish getaway, as online searches for 'Move to Scotland' soar

According to new research by mortgage specialists at Bower Home Finance, interest in Scottish properties has soared thanks to the new season of The Celebrity Traitors.

The research, which examined data from Google Trends, reveals that worldwide searches for 'Move to Scotland' have skyrocketed by 259% in recent weeks. Searches hit their peak in late September, shortly before the latest series of The Celebrity Traitors began airing on BBC One on 1 October. Online searches for 'Scotland house prices' also soared by 406%, suggesting a newfound demand for properties in the region.

This showcases how the hit BBC show is inspiring Traitors fans from around the globe to visit or even relocate to Scotland. The show is filmed in Ardross Castle, a 19th-century property located around 30 miles north of Inverness. The Traitors features stunning views of the remote Scottish Highlands, something that has clearly caught viewers' attention.

According to a recent study by Bower Home Finance, it's good news for Traitors fans who are eyeing a potential move to Scotland. The research examined data from the Office for National Statistics to reveal the UK regions where homeowners can pay off their mortgages in the shortest time. The study found that homeowners in Scotland have the shortest mortgage repayment duration in the UK. It takes the average Scottish homeowner around 10 and a half years to completely clear their mortgage. In comparison, it takes homeowners in London an average of at least 40 years to pay off their mortgages.

Homeowners in Inverclyde have the shortest mortgage repayment duration in the UK, the study found. Properties in Inverclyde typically sell for a median price of £123,000, which is over 60% lower than the median UK house price of £310,919. Workers in Inverclyde earn a median salary of £36,650, which means that it'll take the average homeowner in the region just under seven years to pay off their mortgage.

Scottish properties dominated the study's top 10 ranking, with homeowners in East Ayrshire, Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire, and West Dunbartonshire all clearing their mortgages in under eight years.

Geoff Charles, CEO of Bower Home Finance, commented: "Often dubbed the 'White Lotus effect', what we watch on TV can have a significant impact on our future travel plans. As seen via the popularity of filming locations featured in HBO's The White Lotus, TV can make a difference for local tourism revenue. While the actual Traitors castle isn't usually open to the public, the show still showcases the best of what the Scottish Highlands have to offer. For Traitors fans eyeing up a potential move to Scotland, our recent research highlights just how low property prices are in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK. With the cost of living continuing to put pressure on households across the UK, homeowners in London, the Southeast, and the East of England may increasingly be looking towards more affordable regions, such as Scotland, where lower property prices could offer a more achievable path to mortgage-free homeownership."

The recent Bower Home Finance research found that Scottish properties sell for a median price of £183,000, which is the lowest figure in the study. In comparison, the median property price of homes in London is £538,255, while homes in the Southeast sell for a median price of £382,250.

The research also highlights the 25 areas in London, the Southeast, and the East of England where homeowners are realistically unable to clear their mortgages in their lifetime, based on the fact that the average first-time property buyer is now aged 34. These include Camden, St Albans, Wandsworth, and Hertsmere.

This information was provided by mortgage specialists at Bower Home Finance.

Please reach out for the full findings of Bower Home Finance's recent UK mortgage study.

[ENDS]

If you use any insights from this story, please provide a linked credit to https://www.bowerhomefinance.co.uk, as they provided the information for the above piece.

Methodology

The research examined data from Google Trends to calculate how worldwide searches for 'Move to Scotland' and 'Scotland house prices' have increased in the lead-up to the release of The Celebrity Traitors on 1 October 2026.

To calculate the average length of time it would take Scottish homeowners to clear their mortgage, the research examined data from the Office for National Statistics to determine the median house price and the median salary for regions across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The study also obtained data from the Bank of England to reveal household mortgage interest rates.

The research then determined the ranking based on the number of years to clear the mortgage on a median-priced local home for two median full-time local earners.

The estimated mortgage repayment time was calculated using a standard mortgage repayment formula, taking into account the initial loan amount (median house price minus the deposit), the monthly interest rate, and the household's assumed monthly repayment capacity.

The study also used the standard assumption that homeowners would be spending 30% of net monthly pay on mortgage repayments. The research also used a fixed mortgage interest rate of 4.93% a year. The study also used the assumption that the deposit will be 15% of the local median house price.

Data for the average age of a first-time property buyer was sourced from the English Housing Survey.

The top 10 regions with the lowest mortgage repayment durations

| Rank | Area Name | Location | Number of Years Required to Clear Mortgage | |---|---|---|---| |1|Inverclyde|Scotland|6.9| |2|East Ayrshire|Scotland|7.0| |3|Aberdeen City|Scotland|7.2| |4|North Ayrshire|Scotland|7.4| |4|West Dunbartonshire|Scotland|7.4| |5|Hyndburn|Northwest|8.1| |5|North Lanarkshire|Scotland|8.1| |6|Burnley|Northwest|8.2| |7|Merthyr Tydfil|Wales|8.4| |8|Blaenau Gwent|Wales|8.5| |9|Dundee City|Scotland|8.7| |10|Blackpool|Northwest|9.0| |10|South Ayrshire|Scotland|9.0|

The 25 regions where the average homeowner cannot clear mortgage payments in their lifetime

| Area Name | Location | |---|---| |Kensington and Chelsea|London| |Westminster|London| |Camden|London| |Hammersmith and Fulham|London| |Richmond upon Thames|London| |Brent|London| |Mole Valley|Southeast| |Haringey|London| |Ealing|London| |Elmbridge|Southeast| |Islington|London| |Three Rivers|East of England| |Hertsmere|East of England| |Harrow|London| |Barnet|London| |Tandridge|Southeast| |Wandsworth|London| |Hillingdon|London| |Waltham Forest|London| |Hackney|London| |Hounslow|London| |Windsor and Maidenhead|Southeast| |Kingston upon Thames|London| |St Albans|East of England| |Chichester|Southeast|