The latest Your Move housing index showed average house prices in the nation rose £1,600 in the last month, surpassing the peak recorded in May 2008.

The areas of Fife and West Lothian are two of the locations with the biggest price recovery and house prices are now at record levels.

The average property in Scotland is now worth £166,771 following a 1% rise month-on-month. In the last year property prices grew by 4.5%.

The city of Dundee saw the biggest price jump between December and January, rising 6.7% in a month.

Christine Campbell, regional managing director of Your Move, said: “Thousands of homeowners are finally able to turn their backs on the housing crash, as Scottish house prices break cover from under the clouds of the recession.

“Prices are certainly making sweeping progress across the board, but there are some particularly strong players. In January, Fife and West Lothian joined the ranks of Aberdeenshire and the Shetland Islands and set a new peak house price, following strong annual growth of 9.5% and 10.9% respectively.

“However, North Ayrshire has experienced the biggest rise in house prices on the mainland over the last year, up 11.6% – with the typical price of a detached home growing from £180,000 to £210,000 in the past twelve months.”

However, Campbell said that a number of areas were still struggling to recover.

“We may have turned a significant corner in the journey back from the financial crash, but we’re nowhere near the finish line,” she added.

“Although a minority, average prices have fallen in 7 local authorities of Scotland during the past year. West Dunbartonshire has seen the steepest drop in values in the last twelve months, with prices falling 7.2% on average, and flats in the area are now worth £20,000 less than a year ago.”