The market conditions have prompted a scramble for some properties, such as the ground floor of a detached house that attracted 80 viewers and nine offers in its first two and a half weeks on the market, Mr. Thomson said. In September, the home sold for a sum 32 percent higher than the £950,000 valuation, he said.
The market seems little affected by the continuing political turmoil over the terms on which Britain may leave the European Union, Mr. Thomson added, despite warnings of damage to the national economy, especially if Britain leaves without agreeing to a deal.
Apart from a brief pause in market activity before the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 — in which a majority voted to remain part of the United Kingdom — demand has stayed strong, he said.
While prices in the city are rising, they are still much lower than in some other areas of Britain, especially London, where prices per square foot can be seven or eight times as high as in Edinburgh, helping to explain the local market’s vigor, Mr. Thomson said.
Kevin Maley, head of residential agency for Strutt & Parker in Scotland, said that the continuing uncertainty over Brexit may have slowed activity for prime Scottish properties but that the market remained resilient.
“Demand continues to outstrip supply for the best-in-class properties in prime locations, or those with a particularly attractive unique selling point,” Mr. Maley said in a statement. “Several properties brought to the market in recent months have gone under offer fairly quickly, highlighting healthy demand.”
At the 958-acre Bunloit Estate outside the highland town of Drumnadrochit, residents get rural seclusion in a converted 1876 schoolhouse, plus moorland and gardens, wind and solar power and remarkable views over Loch Ness — which remains a natural gem, even for those who deny the existence of its fabled monster.