The number of chartered surveyors reporting a rise in house prices in Scotland increased from seven to 25 per cent, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).

Rics suggests that while monthly data can be volatile, this healthy trend in the housing market is "broadly consistent" with the country's economic market.

South of the border, however, the number of surveyors reporting a drop in house prices rose for the seventh successive month, with a total of 64.1 per cent more surveyors reporting a fall rather than a rise in house prices.

Rics spokesperson Ian Perry comments that market confidence is "clearly" impacting on prices in England.

"While there is very little new supply coming onto the market, it is unlikely that there will be significant price drops in the short term but the build up of unsold stocks will encourage buyers to negotiate lower asking prices," he adds.

Meanwhile, figures from Nationwide suggest that the rate of house price growth in the UK has seen a fall in the last month.