Looking at the figures, 2010 is turning out to be a welcome relief from the doom and gloom of last year’s credit crunch crisis. If you cast your mind back, the first three months of 2009 were pretty dismal racking up 180 sales according to HSPC’s figures. In stark contrast, this year’s first quarter figures smashed through the 200 barrier ensuring sale values jumped 17%.

These figures wouldn’t have been as impressive had it not been for the remarkable sales through HSPC in March. With 91 completions amounting to £15.7 million of sales, March saw something of a return to form. HSPC’s rolling quarterly average House Price rose by 3% compared with the same period last year, the first increase for a long time.

March was indeed an impressive month and if it is to mark the turning point in the Highland property market, it will have done it in style. Compared to a year ago, March’s figures show a 57% jump in the total value of properties sold and a 47% increase in the number of completions... Add to this a massive 50% increase in the number of new properties on sale through HSPC and it seems the recovery is set to continue apace.