Food for thought: Moray property boom linked to thriving restaurant scene

Local estate agent says the demand for housing is undoubtedly linked to the new cafes, bars and restaurants in the area.

By Rosemary Lowne

February 16 2023, 5:00 pm

Braeriach in Craigellachie was on the market for £650,000 before it sold at a closing date. Photos supplied by Galbraith.

Demand for property in Moray is reaching boiling point thanks to its thriving restaurant scene.

Rod Christie, a partner and head of the estate agency team at Galbraith in Moray, says the property boom is undoubtedly linked to the number of new cafes, bars and restaurants opening up in the area.

From The Copper Dog, a pub at the historic Craigellachie Hotel in Aberlour which is offering high-end cusine from renowned chef Will Halsall to the Bootleggers’ Bar & Grill in Hopeman which sells freshly caught seafood, Rod says the new eateries are causing quite the stir.

“The lifestyle in Moray has always been idyllic, with our superb coastlines and stunning natural scenery, but the buzz around the restaurant scene is certainly an additional benefit,” says Rod.

“Villages which are close to a top-rated restaurant or a trendy bar generally have greater attraction to buyers and property there will often command a premium.”

Local property expert Rod Christie, a partner and head of the estate agency team at Galbraith in Moray, says demand for homes in Moray is linked to the thriving restaurant scene.

6.3% rise

The Orrin, a new fine dining restaurant in Elgin, which uses the best local and seasonal produce, is also whetting the appetites of property hunters.

“The revitalised restaurant scene is undoubtedly of benefit to the region and over the past year properties have been in huge demand,” says Rod.

The thriving restaurant scene appears to be the perfect ingredient as sales from Galbraith’s Elgin office increased by 6.3% last year compared to 2021.

Local estate agents were rushed off their feet as the number of viewings conducted by the firm last year was an astonishing 52% higher than the previous year.

New venues like the Copper Dog are creating a buzz in Moray. Pictures by Jason Hedges, DC Thomson.

Stunning homes

House sales are also completing more rapidly in Moray than in 2021 – with the average time taken to sell having fallen by 34 per cent year on year.

Recent house sales in Moray include Westerfolds House, a stunning £900,000 blond sandstone property just five minute’s from Hopeman and the Bootlegger’s Bar & Grill.

Also attracting a great deal of interest was Braeriach in Craigellachie, near the Craigellachie Hotel in Aberlour, which was on the market for £650,000 before being sold at a closing date.

Riversyde in Aberlour has attracted a great deal of interest among property hunters. Photo by Galbraith

Dating from the 1880s, the house has a wealth of period features across its four reception rooms and nine bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Riversyde, High Street, Aberlour, has also created a buzz.

On the market at a guide price of £535,000, the attractive traditional house with five bedrooms and a superb location overlooking the River Spey in Aberlour is under offer following a significant degree of interest.