It’s official; 2009 wasn’t such a wash out after all. According to data just released by the Registers of Scotland, house prices rose by 1.3% in the final three months of last year compared with the same period 12 months earlier. It was the first annual price rise for 18 months.

At the top end of the scale, the most expensive place to buy in Scotland was Edinburgh where the average property costs £209,456. At the lower end, the cheapest locale was the Western Isles where the price dropped to £91,544.

More generally, the final quarter of 2009 was a gallant end to what had been a difficult year. Thoughts have quickly turned to the year ahead and the prospect of maintaining the momentum. So far, thankfully, the Highlands haven't disappointed.

While the snow fell over the festive period, house buyers kept the property market simmering by completing 24% more deals in January than last year. The 62 sales recorded by HSPC amounted to £10.2 million - a 16% hike compared to 2009. There was also a 62% rise in the number of insertions and website enquiries were up by 7%.

For an opening gambit, January’s results weren’t bad at all, especially when you consider the testing weather conditions which forced many to abandon any hope of viewing properties, opting instead to stay inside with our hands clasped around a cup of something hot. With the weather set to improve, we can only hope the good start to the year continues.

While the beginning of 2010 was certainly upbeat, 2009 had its own high points, if a little sparse on the ground. The most noted was the continuing abundance of rental accommodation, which saw a massive increase from 2008 onwards. The upsurge (from 148 properties in 2007, to 415 in 2008 and 406 in 2009) simultaneously coincided with the launch of HSPC’s weekly leaflet detailing its rental offerings. The rental peak came in October when 53 properties found their way onto HSPC’s books, one short of the all-time high recorded 12 months earlier.

While there are reasons to be cheerful despite the gloom, the prevailing economic reticence has left its indelible mark on the property market. For example, while January’s sales were up, HSPC’s rolling quarterly average price dropped from £172,081 in 2009 to £168,601 in 2010 (a decrease of 2%).

More generally, the number of properties sold in January was the second fewest recorded since HSPC started collecting data in 2004. Similarly, the value of those sales was also low, especially when viewed against the highs of previous years. Yet despite these inevitable blips, the latest batch of statistics should be welcomed as the general trend for the end of last year and beginning of 2010 has been very encouraging.