HOUSE prices in Inverclyde have risen slightly over the past month, but the area remains the cheapest place in Scotland to buy a home.

Research by chartered surveyors Walker Fraser Steele found that the average house price here increased by 1.7 per cent in April, to £132,310. Annually, this represents a 4.3 per cent decrease.

The highest month-on-month increase in Scotland was recorded in neighbouring Renfrewshire, where prices jumped up by seven per cent.

Scott Jack, regional development director at Walker Fraser Steele, said: “Of course, the choppy waters facing the UK housing market more generally mean Scotland also must brace for further interest rate rises and consequent pressures on affordability.

“However, given these pressures, the market on this evidence remains remarkably resilient.”