Airbnb Scotland Survey 2023
This post follows previous surveys in 2021 and 2022. The primary aim of the survey was to collect data showing the distribution and numbers of homes listed on Airbnb across Scotland. The evaluation utilised the same methodology as the 2022 survey and was carried out during November 2023. The total number of listings found for Scotland was 30,407. After processing to identify non-homes (e.g. bed and breakfast, hotel rooms, log cabins etc.) 20,577 listings were determined to be short term let listings of properties that were formerly or suitable for permanent residence as homes. Where the term properties is used it will be restricted to those short term lets suitable for permanent residence. Other forms of short term lets are not discussed further on this page.
Map 1: Distribution of Short Term Lets in Scotland
Zoom in using the + – tool and drag the image to move around. Shetland can be observed by pulling the map down.
Properties by Local Authority
Total Properties (see Table 1)
The following LAs had the highest number of properties listed on Airbnb in Scotland:
- Highland (3,567)
- City of Edinburgh (2,860)
- Argyll and Bute (1,325)
- Glasgow City (1,318)
- Fife (1,311)
- Dumfries and Galloway (1,000)
Per Square Kilometre
The highest densities of properties are to be found in city centres:
- City of Edinburgh (10.86 properties per square kilometre)
- Glasgow City (7.54)
- Dundee City (3.19)
- Aberdeen City (2.54)
- Fife (0.99) Clustered around St Andrews and the coast between Earlsferry and Crail.
Per 1000 Population
The Local Authorities with the highest properties per 1000 population are:
- Western Isles (17.79)
- Argyll and Bute (15.37)
- Highland (14.98)
- Orkney Islands (10.91)
Table 1: Short Term Lets by Local Authority in Scotland
Showing Local Authority, total properties, properties per square kilometre
and properties per 1000 LA population.
Properties in Scottish Island Communities
Total Properties on Island (see Table 2)
The highest numbers are on:
- Skye (632)
- Lewis and Harris (350)
- Orkney Islands (246)
- Note also Arran, Shetland Islands, Islay and Bute
which all have more than 100 properties
Scottish Islands Properties per 1000 Population
Notably high values on:
- Skye (68.46)
- Islay (33.27)
- Tiree (31.17)
- North Uist (28.32)
- Arran (27.55)
- Jura (26.6)
Overall, the impact on island housing is greater than on the mainland local
authorities where akk the islands except Shetland Isles and Coll have higher
values per 1000 population than Highland (14.98).
Table 2: Short Term Lets on Scottish Islands
Showing total properties, population, short term lets per 1000 population,
short term lets per square kilometre
Comparison to Scotland Airbnb Survey 2022
The total number of short term lets has decreased by 2,352 properties, or 11%, since the last survey in 2022. Some 70% of the decrease can be accounted for by falls in the numbers of properties in Glasgow City and City of Edinburgh local authorities.
Glasgow City properties have fallen by 1,005 (43%) which is possibly due to inflated numbers in 2022 as owners opportunistically let out properties during COP22 which was held in the city that year. Falls in Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire may also be influenced by the effect of COP22.
In Edinburgh, a decrease of 671 (19%) may reflect on the stance taken by the City of Edinburgh which designated the whole of the city area as a short-term let control area and which mandated that owners must apply for a material change of use requiring planning permission.
Although the general trend is for a decrease in numbers of properties, there are also increases in some local authorities. The largest increase is in Midlothian which had an increase of 4%, although this was from a small base of 55 properties in 2022. North Lanarkshire also saw increases of nearly 20%.
Methods, Limitations and References
The methods, limitations and references used in this survey were as described previously (see Airbnb Scotland Survey 2022)
Hello, my name is Gwyn and I’m a researcher at Changeworks. I submitted a request on the 13th of February but I’m just following up in case it got lost. We’re collecting data on short term lets for Scottish Government and would be interested to see your dataset on Airbnb properties in Scotland. Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions, I’m happy to share more about the project. Thanks!
Query was answered privately to Gwyn.
This survey isn’t worth the effort whoever took to make it. There are hundreds of airbnb and airbnb style short term lets on the Isle of Arran alone. A population of 4500 approx at 27.55 per 1000 is nonsensense. 139 total is hilarious. That hardly covers the west side of the island, let alone the overrun South and East areas. Or the almost 60% rate of airbnb in some of the villages/hamlets of the north end. The selfish, greedy, behaviour of the tourist pound seeker, who lives nowhere near, and gives nothing back to any of the Highland villages, or the islands that they cause homelessness in, is a disgrace. I hope you are all proud of your part in the 21st Century Clearances. In times to come you will be spoken of in the same way as we now speak of those who caused the displacement of Scots in the original Clearances.
Hi Lucy,
Thank you for your comments but I must disagree with your point that the survey is worthless and I stand by my data. If you can provide substantiated information that is different from mine I will review what I have posted. You may be aware of other properties that are holiday homes on the island – such as maintained privately and not let out or homes let through tradition holiday letting companies. I did not set out to capture these.
Note that I undertook this survey because I was shocked at the proliferation of Airbnb short term lets in my home town and not in any way as an endorsement of Airbnb. However, I try to be non-political and non-partial and to present data and facts on my website from obscure sources that are not easy for the public to obtain. This allows them to reach their own conclusions.
Please note:
1. the survey is a snapshot in time and reflects what is advertised on Airbnb on the day of the survey.
2. The original data which identified 358 properties of all types, but that included hotels, B&B, pods, glamping etc. leaving the 139 properties that I could identify as short term lets.
3. As a sanity check I looked at Airbnb in Arran today and what is presented below is the total listings without removal of pods, hotel rooms etc. which usually accounts for half of all listings:
Brodick – 27 places;
Lochranza 11 places;
Lamlash area 43 places;
Whiting Bay area 38 places;
Blackwaterfoot 21 places;
Most other villages/hamlets have a handful of places although these may amount to high percentages if in tiny hamlets.
Hi,
I hope you are well. I am a Economics student in my penultimate year writing a dissertation on the effects of Airbnb on Edinburgh. Could I kindly ask if you have available datasets to show the number of Airbnb listings across Edinburgh for as many years as possible?
I am more than happy to discuss anything further on my email.
Kindest regards,
Kevin
Query was answered privately to Kevin